AGEING AND HOT HARDNESS CHARACTERISTICS OF CERTAIN THORIUM ALLOYS

Journal Article · Mon Feb 29 23:00:00 EST 1960 · J. Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3115(60)90024-6· OSTI ID:4189403

Bannister, G H; Burnett, R C; Murray, J R

Aging experiments at 500, 600, and 700 deg C on thoriumrich thorium-- aluminum and thorium--uranium alloys are described. The results of similar tests at 600 deg C on five more complex thorium alloys are given. Hot hardness tests at temperatures up to 800 deg C were made on three samples of thorium and on several Th--Al, Th--U, and Th--Zr alloys in the as-cast, solution treated, and aged conditions. Aluminum additions improved the hot hardness of thorium and the alloys showed considerable hardening due to precipitation of Th/sub 2/Al. The rate of aging increased directly with aluminum content and with temperature while the maaimum hardness for a given composition increased inversely with temperature. Little precipitation hardening was observed in thorium--uranium alloys containing up to 5 at.% uranium and their hot hardness behavior showed little significant improvement over unalloyed thonium. The results on thorium--zirconium alloys suggested that zirconium additions within the alpha -thorium solid solution range lead to solution hardening. In an alloy containing 22 at.% zirconium, higher hot hardness values, up to 600 deg C, were obtained after solution annealing in the beta (body-centred cubic) phase-field than after solution treatment in the ( alpha + beta ) field. Additions of aluminum and uranium in excess of the solubility limit restricted the grain growth of thorium at 1150 and 1200 deg C, respectively. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-14-014095
• OSTI ID: 4189403
• Journal Information: J. Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: J. Nuclear Materials Vol. Vol: 2
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ADDITIVES
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
ANNEALING
CASTING
EXPANSION
GRAIN SIZE
HARDNESS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HOT WORKING
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
LATTICES
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PRECIPITATION
SAMPLING
SOLID SOLUTIONS
TEMPERATURE
TEMPERING
TESTING
THORIUM
THORIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS