False-colour electron diffraction pattern of pure titanium, made from a sample of a 97% titanium 3% nickel alloy. Such alloys form the basis of a whole family of materials formed by the addition of other alloying elements in small amounts. The additional elements impart particular properties on the alloys, enabling them to be used for a wide variety of applications in aerospace, medicine and engineering. The electron beam here was aligned with the [1213]-alpha axis of the titanium crystal within the alloy.