Abstract: Leaders are attached to opposite ends of a titanium foil or thin strip element and are partially coiled on respective reels spaced at opposite sides of a cluster rolling mill to transfer the titanium element back and forth between the reels to move the element between pressure rolls of the mill a plurality of times and under forward and back tension in air at room temperature to initially reduce the element thickness enough to permit the element to be coiled on the reels and then to partially coil the element on the reels to further reduce element thickness. Iron aluminide material is interleaved with a loose coil of the element and the element is heated in a protective atmosphere to stress relieve and partially recrystallize the element material between the reductions in thickness.

Abstract: A thin strip or foil element of titanium aluminide, nickel aluminide or high strength titanium alloy material is inserted between a metal carrier strip and a metal top lid strip having one end welded or otherwise secured to the carrier strip to be passed between pressure rolls of a rolling mill with the strips and squeezed together with the strips in air at room temperature a plurality of times, preferably with a metal pressure board disposed against the top lid strip adjacent the top pressure roll, to reduce the thickness of the thin strip or foil element by at least 15 percent each time. The element is heated in a protective atmosphere after each reduction in thickness to stress relieve and at least partially recrystallize the element material.