Strengthening in high-pressure quenched Zr

ABSTRACTThe present study examined the effects of pressure (range: 1–6 GPa) on microstructure and mechanical properties of pure Zr. Pressure significantly affected refining of Zr microstructure. When 5 GPa pressure was applied, ω-phase was observed in processed specimen, and volume fraction sharply increased to 57.4% for specimen pressurized-quenched at 6 GPa. Benefitting from refinement of acicular-shaped α (α′) plates and the formation of equiaxial ω-phase, the yield strength of the sample quenched from 6 GPa reached ∼616 MPa, which is almost twice as that of coarse-grained Zr.