Special Issue: “Processing and Treatment of Hexagonal Metals”

There is currently an increasing demand for metals with a hexagonal close-packed structure (HCP) [...]

Texture Memory in Hexagonal Metals and Its Mechanism

Texture memory is a phenomenon in which retention of initial textures occurs after a complete cycle of forward and backward transformations, and it occurs in various phase-transforming materials including cubic and hexagonal metals such as steels and Ti and Zr alloys. Texture memory is known to be caused by the phenomena called variant selection, in which some of the allowed child orientations in an orientation relationship between the parent and child phases are preferentially selected. Without such variant selection, the phase transformations would randomize preferred orientations. In this article, the methods of prediction of texture memory and mechanisms of variant selections in hexagonal metals are explored. The prediction method using harmonic expansion of orientation distribution functions with the variant selection in which the Burgers orientation relationship, {110}β//{0001}α-hex <11¯1>β//21¯1¯0α-hex, is held with two or more adjacent parent grains at the same time, called “double Burgers orientation relation (DBOR)”, is introduced. This method is shown to be a powerful tool by which to analyze texture memory and ultimately provide predictive capabilities for texture changes during phase transformations. Variation in nucleation and growth rates on special boundaries and an extensive growth of selected variants are also described. Analysis of textures of commercially pure Ti observed in situ by pulsed neutron diffraction reveals that the texture memory in CP-Ti is indeed quite well predicted by consideration of the mechanism of DBOR. The analysis also suggests that the nucleation and growth rates on the special boundary of 90° rotation about 21¯1¯0α-hex should be about three times larger than those of the other special boundaries, and the selected variants should grow extensively into not only one parent grain but also other grains in α-hex(hexagonal)→β(bcc) transformation. The model calculations of texture development during two consecutive cycles of α-hex→β→α-hex transformation in CP-Ti and Zr are also shown.

Anisotropy of Plastic Deformation in Hexagonal Metals

Geometric aspects of the shear processes in hexagonal metals are analysed. They can be divided into three groups: those localized essentially between neighbouring atomic planes, occurring in narrow slabs along particular atomic planes, or covering a large crystal volume. Obviously, dislocation glide and deformation twinning are principal types of such processes. On the geometrical level, the dislocation slip as well as twin propagation are controlled by Schmid factors. Since the sample loaded by external stress can sometimes give way to fracture (cleavage) under tensile stress, it has to be also mentioned. The main aim of this work is to show only on geometrical grounds for which sample orientation which process is more likely to occur. More complex shear processes that take place during double twinning are also briefly considered. In polycrystals, the shear phenomena lead to texture formation when the processes that control the behaviour of materials may be those that act in a similar way in single crystals.

Study of the elastic properties of hexagonal metal single crystals

Hexagonal metals (e.g., Be, Zr, Ti) are widely used in the nuclear industry, space and aircraft engineering (in manufacturing of the structural elements operating under extreme conditions). A promising way to improve the quality of products made of them is to improve the physical properties of materials using the natural anisotropy of metal single crystals. The results of studying anisotropy and a comparative analysis of the technical characteristics of the elastic properties of single crystals of hexagonal metals are presented. The equations of the elastic compliance matrix components are derived in the explicit form for arbitrary crystallographic direction proceeding from transformations of the elastic compliance tensor in the principal axes to a new arbitrary coordinate system with a subsequent use of Euler angles. Analytical expressions are presented for the technical characteristics of the elastic properties (shear and Young's moduli, Poisson's ratio) of the single crystals of 10 hep metals for an arbitrary crystallographic direction. The axial symmetry of the characteristics about the hexagonal axis is revealed. The sums of the elastic compliance coefficients which determine the shear moduli and the Poisson's ratios in two mutually perpendicular directions are constant in any crystallographic plane of the single crystal. A comparative analysis of the anisotropy of the elastic properties of single crystals of the studied group of metals revealed auxetic properties of Zn and Be single crystals and the region of crystallographic directions of uniaxia tension, leading to an auxetic effect The auxetic effect in Zn was observed under tension in the directions of the plane perpendicular to the hexagonal axis of the single crystal. The planes of the auxetic effect manifestation in Be single crystals are perpendicular to the directions making an angle of 45° with the hexagonal axis.