Agradecimentos: The authors gratefully acknowledge the Brazilian research funding agencies FAPESP (#2012/10164-8 and #2013/50391-6) and CNPq (#484379/2012-7) for their financial support; Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM) for the Niobium supplied and also the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LME/LNNano/CNPEM) and OSU (The Ohio State University) for the use of electron microscopy facilities and the technical support during the TEM work Ver menos

The characteristics of orthorhombic martensite (α″) formed by step-quenching in a Ti-30Nb-4Sn (wt%) alloy have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). According to literature, α″ lattice parameters depend mainly on the composition of the parent β phase. In this study, samples subjected to step quenching heat treatment presented α″ phase formation in the proximity of α phase laths, driven by two combined factors: solute rejection and lattice strain. Our results indicate that as the aging is prolonged, α″ becomes richer in solute content, which makes it more similar to the parent β phase. An average 2.55% lattice strain along [110]β directions was found to be necessary in order to obtain α″ from the β phase after 24 h of aging at 400 °C, followed by water-quenching. The initial lattice strain along the same direction was estimated at approximately 3.60% with zero aging time. The precipitation of the α phase does not inhibit a solute rich α″ phase formation Ver menos