Evolution of β-Nb precipitates during hydrogenation of a zirconium-niobium alloy

Abstract We firstly reported that during hydrogenation of Zr-Nb alloy, β-Nb particles transformed into rods with their major axes parallel to each other within neighboring e-ZrH2 grains, while obeying orientation relationship with the matrix: [101] ZrH2 // [ 1 ¯ 13] β-Nb. Parallel Moire fringes were observed viewing along [101] ZrH2 due to the low mismatch angle between (101) ZrH2 and (10 1 ¯ ) β-Nb.