Indentation study of titanium, zirconium, and hafnium hydrides

Abstract

AbstractMechanical properties of titanium, zirconium, and hafnium hydrides were evaluated by indentation tests in the present study. Single-phase bulk specimens of titanium, zirconium, and hafnium hydrides with a fluorite type structure were produced using a Sieverts' apparatus. The indentation hardness values of titanium and hafnium hydrides were lower than those of the pure metals and drastically decreased with increasing hydrogen content. The hardness of zirconium hydride was higher than that of pure zirconium and slightly depended on hydrogen content. The hardness of the hydrides decreased with increasing maximum indentation load, which has been referred to as indentation size effect. The dependences of hardness on the indentation depth for the hydrides were found to obey the Nix–Gao model. The indentation size effects for the hydrides were significantly smaller than those for the pure metals.