Effect of thermomechanical treatment of the stress corrosion cracking of metastable beta III titanium

Results of studies on the relations of microstructural changes with stress corrosion of Ti--11.5 Mo--6 Zr--4.5 Sn (Beta III) alloys are presented. It was found that this alloy is virtually immune to stress corrosion cracking if no imperfections in the surface are present. Specimens that had not been cold worked showed surface deterioration, but it was not serious enough to cause any marked reduction in yield strengths. The alloy is, however, susceptible to SCC if the surface contains an imperfection such as a fatigue crack where high stresses can concentrate during testing. These high stress levels at the crack tip may cause mechanical destruction of the passivating oxide and allow a higher concentration of chloride ions near the fresh metal surfaces. However, even with precracked specimens, crack propagation is slow as evidenced by no failures within the 720 hour test period. The extreme notch sensitivity of Beta III prevented initiation of fatigue cracks in the sections of the alloy with 20 and 50 percent cold work. More research must be done to test Beta III in this condition. However, on the basis of the research conducted thus far, SCC susceptibility of Beta III titanium alloy appears to be independent of thermomechanical pretreatment. (U.S.)