OPTIMIZING MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES IN ALPHA-ALLOYS(BETA TITANIUM)

The alpha/beta titanium alloys have played a major role in the develop ment of gas turbine technology but it is doubtful that the growth in m echanical properties that contributed to their current dominance can b e maintained into the next century. Future applications will require a more efficient utilisation of their strength and fatigue capability t hrough a clearer understanding of deformation and crack development an d by matching their inherent anisotropy with principal load direction. As a contribution to this process, the paper explores the factors inv olved in the formation of the quasi-cleavage facets that play such an important role in cyclic and time dependent fracture modes and examine s influencing parameters such as stress redistribution, microstructure and notch geometry. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserve d.