Microstructure and tensile properties of hot-rolled Zr50-Ti50 binary alloy

A series of Zr50-Ti50 (at%) alloy specimens with different treatments was prepared. Tensile test, X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microstructure, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses were performed to investigate alloy tensile properties and microstructure. Hot-rolling process was found to have a remarkable strengthening effect. The tensile strength of hot-rolled specimens had an increase of 37% compared with solution-treated specimen (undeformed). All specimens exhibited α′-Zr structures and similar microstructures. However, a significant plasticity difference was observed in the Zr50-Ti50 hot-rolled specimens with different cooling rates. Detailed TEM microstructural analysis showed that the morphology of twins in the hot-rolled specimens was different. Most of the twins were nano-twins. It was found that the twins had effective on Zr50-Ti50 alloy plasticity, in the meantime significant effects on tensile properties due to the complicated interactions between twin boundaries and dislocations. All these findings in this work may provide a new strengthening mechanism for Zirconium-based alloys.