Titanium Based Intermetallics

Abstract

Intermetallic compounds¹, especially those formed between light elements such as Ti and Al are attractive, because of their low density and good elevated temperature strength. However, the formation of intermetallic compounds also usually reduces the symmetry of the parent metal lattice. In turn, this places additional restrictions on the available deformation modes. These restrictions usually are manifested as increased strength, at least at elevated temperatures, reduced ductility and fracture toughness. Historically, the issues associated with reduced ductility and fracture toughness have been viewed as outweighing the benefits of increased strength. Consequently, the use of intermetallic compounds in structural applications has been very limited.