Influence of HPT and Accumulative High-Pressure Torsion on the Structure and Hv of a Zirconium Alloy

The authors previously used the accumulative high-pressure torsion (ACC HPT) method for the first time on steel 316, beta-Ti alloy, and bulk metallic glass vit105. On low-alloyed alloys, in particular, the zirconium alloy Zr-1%Nb, the new method was not used. This alloy has a tendency to alpha -> omega phase transformations at using simple HPT. When using ACC HPT, the alpha -> omega transformation can be influenced to a greater extent. This article studies the sliding effect and accumulation of shear strain in Zr-1%Nb alloy at various stages of high-pressure torsion (HPT). The degree of shear deformation at different stages of HPT was estimated. The influence of various high-pressure torsion conditions on the micro-hardness and phase composition by X-ray diffraction (XRD) of Zr-1%Nb was analyzed. It is shown that at high-pressure torsion revolutions of n = 2, anvils and the specimen significantly slip, which is a result of material strengthening. It was found that despite sliding, regular high-pressure torsion resulted in the high strengthening of Zr-1%Nb alloy (micro-hardness more than doubled), and after high-pressure torsion n = 10, up to 97% of the high-pressure omega-phase was formed in it (as in papers of other researchers). Accumulative high-pressure torsion deformation leads to the strongest transformation of the Zr-1%Nb structure and Hv and, therefore, to a higher real strain of the material due to composition by upsetting and torsion in strain cycles.