Evidence of α-nanophase heterogeneous nucleation from ω particles in a β-metastable Ti-based alloy by high-resolution electron microscopy

The precipitation of nanostructured ω and α phases by heating a metastable Ti-based alloy was observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The ωiso precipitates formed are shown to behave as nucleation sites for an extremely fine and dispersed α phase leading to a final stable nanostructured (β + α) duplex alloy.