Deformation behavior of novel Ti431 titanium alloy under low and intermediate temperature conditions

Uniaxial compression tests were conducted on a novel Ti431 alloy forging using a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator to investigate its deformation behavior within the intermediate-to-low temperature (100–500 °C), and strain rate range of 0.001 s⁻¹ to 1 s⁻¹. The microstructural evolution was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the deformation behavior of the Ti431 alloy is highly sensitive to temperature during medium-to-low temperature deformation, which is attributed to the significant differences in deformation mechanisms between the low and medium temperature regimes. At low temperatures, work hardening dominates the deformation process, whereas at medium temperatures, flow softening becomes predominant. When deformed at high strain rates (1 s⁻¹), the activation of the adiabatic shear effect leads to anomalous decrease in flow stress. This adiabatic shear-induced flow softening is particularly more pronounced at low temperatures.