A comparison of microstructural strengthening for thermal creep and radiation damage resistance of titanium aluminide alloys

Titanium aluminide (TiAl) alloys were initially developed for moderate temperature (600–850 °C) applications in the aerospace and automotive industries because they have high specific strength, low density, good corrosion, oxidation and creep resistance at elevated temperatures [1]. TiAl alloys have also received much attention as potential candidate materials for high temperature nuclear structural applications because of excellent radiation resistance and low neutron activation [2], [3], [4] and [5]. Moreover, the microstructure of TiAl alloys can be developed to be more complex than the up-to-now reported microstructures of other advanced structural materials. Various microstructures allow different combinations of properties for various extreme environments in advanced nuclear systems. The effects of microstructural features on creep behaviour of TiAl alloys have been intensively investigated over the last two decades [6], [7] and [8]. However, the effects of microstructural features on irradiation behaviour of TiAl alloys have rarely been studied. In the present short note, the microstructural strengthening for thermal creep and irradiation damage of TiAl alloys is compared. This provides useful guidance for further experiment work necessary to understand the irradiation behaviour of TiAl alloys. © 2013, Elsevier B.V.