Influence of hydrogenation on the structural state and properties of Zr1Nb alloy

It has been shown that during electrolytic hydrogenation of wire samples of the Zr1Nb alloy, a layer of 9.5 μm thick anisotropic zirconium hydride nanocrystals with a thickness of ≈9.5 µm is formed on the surface, which leads to a decrease in the shear modulus by 10% in pre-annealed samples and to a significantly reduced effect in deformed ones. The latter is a consequence of the competition of two factors: a decrease in modulus due to the direct formation of the δ hydride ZrH1.66 and an increase due to the relaxation of internal stresses. The observed effect of a decrease in the electrical resistivity of a wire sample as a result of hydrogenation is discussed.