jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pMetastable jats:italicβ</jats:italic> titanium alloys, such as Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn, have potential for application in vibration damping systems due to their ability to display superelastic behaviour. However, their use is currently limited due to large variations in the temperature range over which this behaviour is stable, which can additionally be shown to depend on the thermal history of the sample. This study demonstrates the sensitivity of the microstructure to thermal history and highlights a possible cause for this variability. Currently held theories of jats:italicω</jats:italic> formation supressing the martensitic transformation have been called into question and an alternative mechanism based on a total stress approach has been suggested. Understanding this variability enables better design of alloys and processing routes in order to achieve materials with the desired properties required for industrial application.</jats:p>