Temperature-Dependent Deformation Mechanisms in Ti65 Alloy: An In Situ Tensile Study

Understanding the relationship between deformation behavior and mechanisms at elevated temperatures is of great significance for applications of high-temperature titanium alloys. This study systematically investigates the plastic deformation behavior of Ti65 alloy under both room-temperature and high-temperature conditions through in situ tensile testing, combined with slip trace analysis, crystal orientation analysis, and geometrical compatibility factor evaluation. TEM observations and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that plastic deformation is predominantly accommodated by basal and prismatic slip systems with minimal pyramidal slip contribution at room temperature. However, elevated temperatures significantly promote pyramidal and slip due to thermal activation. This transition stems from a shift in deformation mechanisms: while room-temperature deformation relies on multi-slip and grain rotation to accommodate strain, high-temperature deformation is governed by efficient slip transfer across grain boundaries enabled by enhanced geometrical compatibility. Consistent with this, thermal activation at elevated temperatures reduces the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS), preferentially activating 1/3<11-23> dislocations and thereby substantially improving plastic deformation capability. These findings provide critical insights into the temperature-dependent deformation mechanisms of Ti65 alloy, offering valuable guidance for performance optimization in high-temperature applications.