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Grain refinement in titanium prevents low temperature oxygen embrittlement

Author

Listed:
  • Yan Chong

    (University of California
    Kyoto University
    Kyoto University
    National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Reza Gholizadeh

    (Kyoto University)

  • Tomohito Tsuru

    (Kyoto University
    Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency)

  • Ruopeng Zhang

    (University of California
    National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Koji Inoue

    (Tohoku University)

  • Wenqiang Gao

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Andy Godfrey

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Masatoshi Mitsuhara

    (Kyushu University)

  • J. W. Morris

    (University of California)

  • Andrew M. Minor

    (University of California
    National Center for Electron Microscopy, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Nobuhiro Tsuji

    (Kyoto University
    Kyoto University)

Abstract

Interstitial oxygen embrittles titanium, particularly at cryogenic temperatures, which necessitates a stringent control of oxygen content in fabricating titanium and its alloys. Here, we propose a structural strategy, via grain refinement, to alleviate this problem. Compared to a coarse-grained counterpart that is extremely brittle at 77 K, the uniform elongation of an ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure (grain size ~ 2.0 µm) in Ti-0.3wt.%O is successfully increased by an order of magnitude, maintaining an ultrahigh yield strength inherent to the UFG microstructure. This unique strength-ductility synergy in UFG Ti-0.3wt.%O is achieved via the combined effects of diluted grain boundary segregation of oxygen that helps to improve the grain boundary cohesive energy and enhanced dislocation activities that contribute to the excellent strain hardening ability. The present strategy will not only boost the potential applications of high strength Ti-O alloys at low temperatures, but can also be applied to other alloy systems, where interstitial solution hardening results into an undesirable loss of ductility.

Suggested Citation

  • Yan Chong & Reza Gholizadeh & Tomohito Tsuru & Ruopeng Zhang & Koji Inoue & Wenqiang Gao & Andy Godfrey & Masatoshi Mitsuhara & J. W. Morris & Andrew M. Minor & Nobuhiro Tsuji, 2023. "Grain refinement in titanium prevents low temperature oxygen embrittlement," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-36030-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36030-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yan Chong & Ruopeng Zhang & Mohammad S. Hooshmand & Shiteng Zhao & Daryl C. Chrzan & Mark Asta & J. W. Morris & Andrew M. Minor, 2021. "Elimination of oxygen sensitivity in α-titanium by substitutional alloying with Al," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
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