Titanium alloys with a high β stabilizer content – sample preparation strategies and micrographs

Owing to their specific property profile, titanium materials are particularly used in aerospace and medical technology applications. Highly β-stabilized titanium alloys are becoming more and more important for they can be strengthened by martensite decomposition and/or precipitation hardening, thus allowing the property profile to be adapted to the respective application. Not only α and β phase can occur in the respective alloys, but also the α’, α” or ω phase. The sample preparation is particularly problematic when high fractions of α” and β phase are present. They are characterized by a very low stiffness and strength, thus tending to form smear and deformation layers. Three examples will be quoted to describe the sample preparation of titanium materials with a high proportion of β-stabilizers (niobium, molybdenum, and tantalum) and various micrographs will be shown.