TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Component: A diffusion-mitigating layer is affixed between the protective structure and the substrate.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Material: The alpha-beta titanium alloy, the near-beta titanium alloy, or beta-titanium alloy comprise a beta phase that has a titanium rich body-center-cubic structure and belongs to Pearson symbol cI2 or space group. The protective structure comprises an alpha-beta titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al-4V that has been aged or solution treated and aged; a metastable beta-titanium alloy comprising Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr- 4Zr-4Mo; a near-(3 titanium alloy comprising Ti-1OV-2Fe-3Al; a near-beta titanium alloy comprising Ti-5Al-2Sn-4Mo-2Zn-4Cr; a beta-titanium alloy comprising Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al; an alpha-b titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn that has been solution treated and aged or that has been annealed; an alpha-titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo that has been double annealed; a near-a titanium alloy comprising Ti-5.8Al-4Sn-3.5Zr-0.7Nb; a beta-titanium alloy comprising Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al that has been aged; a alpha-beta titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo; a near-a titanium alloy comprising Ti-4Al-4Mo-2Sn; a near-a titanium alloy comprising Ti-5.5Al-3Sn-3Zr-0.5Nb; an alpha-beta titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn; a near-a titanium alloy comprising Ti-4Al-4Mo-2Sn; an alpha-beta titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al-7Nb; a near-a titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al- 2Sn-4Zr-2Mo; a beta-titanium alloy comprising Ti-6Al-2Cr-2Mo-2Zr-2Sn; and/or a beta-titanium alloy comprising Ti-15Mo-3Al-2.7Nb-0.25S. The near-beta titanium alloy comprises less than or equal to 20 wt.% zirconium, hafnium, or scandium. The substrate comprises an iron-based alloy, a nickel-based alloy, a cobalt-based alloy, or a titanium-based alloy. Preferred Property: The alpha-beta titanium alloy, the near-beta titanium alloy, or the beta-titanium alloy display an elongation of approximately 4% and an effective elastic strain of approximately 0.7%. The near-beta titanium alloy has a Young's modulus of less than or equal to 80 GPa.