Influence of Cold Plastic Deformation on the Structure and Physicomechanical Properties of the Biocompatible Low-Modulus Zr51Ti31Nb18 Alloy

Abstract

The influence of the degree of compression in the range of 46–84% upon cold rolling of rods of a biocompatible low-modulus Zr₅₁Ti₃₁Nb₁₈ (IMP BAZALM) alloy preliminarily quenched from the β field on the formation of its structure, phase composition, and physicomechanical properties (hardness, elastic modulus) has been studied by the methods of optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, back-scattering electron diffraction, and microindentation. It has been established that with an increase in the degree of compression, a reorientation and elongation of the initially equilibrium β grains occur along the direction of rolling with the formation of a perfect filamentary structure in the rods with a minimum cross-section. The values of microhardness are stabilized in the range of 320–325 HV due to the development of dynamic recovery processes in the deformed structure, and the elastic modulus decreases from 68 to 55 GPa in the rolling plane of rods owing to the improvement of the {001}RP〈110〉RD-type texture, which leads to the appearance of the predominantly “low-modulus” 〈110〉 orientation in the direction of measurement.