Patterns of the Mechanisms of Deformation and Strain Hardening of Titanium Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites Based on the Analysis of Experimental Results on Quasi-Static and Dynamic Compressions

The deformation behaviour of titanium-based alloys and their composites during quasi-static and high-strain-rate compressions is analysed based on the earlier method developed by V.F. Moiseev and his colleagues to analyse stress–strain curves obtained under tension. The present overview approach is employed for the treatment and subsequent analysis of numerous compression curves obtained from quasi-static and high-strain-rate experiments with titanium-based alloys and their composites with varying compositions and initial microstructures. As shown convincingly, the Moiseev’s method can also be successfully applied to analyse the behaviour of alloys under compression. A comparison of the obtained data with structural studies made it possible, in most cases, to identify the mechanisms of deformation and strengthening of titanium alloys in a wide range of compression rates. As found, depending on the type and morphology of the initial structure, deformation and strengthening under compression can be controlled by either α- or β-phase, or both phases simultaneously. The influence of the level of alloying with β-stabilizers and the introduction of strengthening dispersed high-modulus particles into the titanium matrix are considered. As revealed, the strengthening mechanism is often different under quasi-static and dynamic compressions. Moreover, in the case of high-strain-rate compression, the deformation behaviour can differ between the first stage and subsequent stages, which exhibit an oscillating nature. A physical explanation is proposed for the effects discovered during quasi-static and dynamic compressions of the considered titanium materials.