Temperature Effect on Stacking Fault Energy and Deformation Mechanisms in Titanium and Titanium-aluminium Alloy

Abstract Alloying elements have great influence on mechanical properties of metals. Combining dislocation characterization and in-situ transmission electron microscope straining at ambient and liquid-nitrogen temperature in high-purity titanium and Ti-5at%Al, we investigated the modulation of Al on dislocation behaviours as temperature changed. It reveals that segregation of Al at edge dislocation cores in Ti-5at%Al generates strong obstacles, promoting room temperature cross-slips. However, the effect of Al on reducing stacking-fault energy (SFE) as decreasing temperature is significant. Consequently, the lower SFE in Ti-5at%Al results in ordinary planar dislocation slip while massive dislocation cross-slips occurred in Ti at liquid-nitrogen temperature.