Precipitation of intermetallic phase in Zn‐Ti alloy single crystals

Pure and 0.14 at.%Ti alloyed Zn single crystals have been grown by the Bridgman technique. The alloyed crystal exhibits a sheet‐like precipitation structure parallel to the basal plane of the hexagonal solid solution Zn‐Ti matrix. The tetragonal precipitates are intermetallic compounds of Zn₁₆Ti composition. They are needle‐shaped with the needle axis peferentially aligned along the axis. The approximate orientation relationship between precipitate and matrix is (0001)<11$bar 2$ 0>_Matrix||(010)[001]_Zn16Ti. To study the influence of alloying on the mechanical properties, the critical resolved shear stress for basal slip has been measured in compression at different temperatures and strain rates. It is shown that the critical resolved shear stress can be very well explained by theories of solid solution and precipitation hardening. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)