Slip behavior of Bi-modal structure in a metastable β titanium alloy during tensile deformation

β titanium alloys with bi-modal structure which exhibit improved strength-ductility combination and fatigue property are widely used in aviation and aerospace industry.However,owing to the small size of primary α(αp) and nano-scaled multi variant distribution of secondary α platelets(αs),investigating the deformation behavior is really a challenging work.In this work,by applying transmission electron microscopy(TEM),the slip behavior in αpand transformed β matrix with different tensile strain was studied.After α/β solution treatment,the initial dislocation slips on {110} plane with <1 1 1> direction in β matrix.During furtherdeformation,(110),(101) and(1 1 2) multi slip is generated which shows a long straight cro s sing configuration.Dislocation cell is exhibited in β matrix at tensile strain above 20 %.Diffe rent from the solid solution treated sample,high density wavy dislocations are generated in transformedβ matrix.High fraction fine as hinders dislocation motion in β matrix effectively which in turn dominates the strength of the alloy.In primary α phase(αp),a core-shell structure is formed during deformation.Both pyramidal a+c slip and prismatic/basal a slip are generated in the shell layer.In core region,plastic deformation is governed by prismatic/basal a slip.Formation of the core-shell structure is the physical origin of the improved ductility.On one hand,the work hardening layer(shell) improves the strength of αp,which could deform compatibly with the hard transformed β matrix.Meanwhile,the center area(core) deforms homogeneously which will sustain plastic strain effectively and increase the ductility.This paper studies the slip behavior and reveals the origin of the improved strength-ductility combination in Bi-modal structure on a microscopic way,which will give theoretical advises for developing the next generation high strength β titanium alloys.