Ductile To Brittle Transition

Twinning and Phase Change: How New Niobium-Titanium Alloys Stay Tough at 20 Kelvin

New niobium-titanium alloys exhibit remarkable damage tolerance at 20 Kelvin by employing nanoscale twinning and local phase transformation. These mechanisms precede conventional dislocation motion, enabling plasticity and preventing brittle fracture in extreme cryogenic environments.