Determination of (C11-C12C11-C12) in Ti–36Nb–2Ta–3Zr–0.3O (wt.%) (Gum metal)

The single-crystal elastic constants of a recently developed multifunctional β titanium alloy, Gum metal, have been obtained with the aid of in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Results indicate that (C11-C12C11-C12) is approximately 33 GPa in this alloy, which is larger than previously predicted. Consequently it appears that this material would require a large local stress concentration in order to deform via ideal shear. X-ray diffraction analysis also suggests that Gum metal undergoes a stress-induced phase transformation during tensile loading.