8. Stress corrosion

When titanium is subjected to stress, cracking can break the oxide and lead to localized corrosion. This case corresponds to high stresses, and the most susceptible alloys are those with high interstitials and a high aluminum content; similarly, these alloys are also susceptible to problems of toughness and crack propagation [M 4 780] . The rate of deformation must be fast enough to prevent reformation of the protective oxide layer. The microstructure can play a role: an acicular microstructure can deflect the crack, and the metal will then better resist the direction of stress (see figure...