Plastic Deformation of ZrB ₂ Single Crystals

The active slip planes, the Burgers vector, and the critical resolved shear stress to induce macroscopic deformation in ZrB 2 single crystals were determined. Room‐temperature microhardness indentation and high‐temperature uniaxial compression loadings were used to induce deformation. Slip occurred in a close‐packed α direction on prismatic planes at room temperature and on the basal plane at high temperatures. The high‐temperature yield stress and yield drop are discussed in terms of a Widmanstaetten‐type precipitate observed in the crystals.