THE MELTING AND FABRICATION OF ZIRCALOY

Technical Report · Fri Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1958

OSTI ID:4306481

Richards, E L; Hart, J H; Friske, W H; Hurford, W J

A survey of the evolution of double, consumableelectrode, arc-melting techniques for zirconium alloy ingots is given. Current melting specifications are presented and the reasons for specifying these conditions are discussed. The effects of varying the furnace pressure and the level of sponge volatiles are discussed. Ingot grain size, volatile impurity content, and porosity are related to the melting techniques. Ingot sampling and conditioning techniques are discussed along with the advantages and process control achieved by these methods. Data are presented for the melting rate and power consumption rate with respect to the melting conditions. Techniques for pressure sponge into bars and welding these bars into consumable electrodes are discussed. Machining and welding of first melt ingots into the remelt electrode are described. The controls and techniques used for arc starting and arc voltage control are explained along with the power source and the general furnace design. Vacuum melted Zircaloy-2 is shown to contain fewer microstructural defects than Zircaloy-2 melted under one atmosphere of argon. Zircaloy ingots are hot worked to common mill products by such processes as press forging, hammer forging, blooming, extrusion, and hot rolling. These processes, as applicable to the fabrication of Zircaloy, are discussed and information on hot working and annealing temperatures and conditions, mill reductions and methods for billet and slab conditioning are discussed. Processes for producing cold rolled strip, tubing, wire, and similar products by rolling, extruding, swaging, or drawing techniques are described. The effects of impurities, ingot soundness, and fabrication practice on the quality of wrougtht products are discussed, and results of macro and microstructural studies of ingot, intermediate shape, and final wrought product are presented. (anth)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Bettis Plant, Pittsburgh
• NSA Number: NSA-12-014828
• OSTI ID: 4306481
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/1010
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANNEALING-- ARGON-- COLD WORKING-- DEFECTS-- DRAWING-- EXTRUSION-- FORGING-- HOT WORKING-- LATTICES-- ROLLING-- SHEETS-- TUBES-- WIRES
CONTROL-- ELECTRIC ARCS-- ELECTRIC POTENTIAL-- ELECTRODES-- FABRICATION-- FURNACES-- GRAIN SIZE-- IMPURITIES-- MACHINING-- MELTING-- POROSITY-- POWER-- PRESSURE-- RODS-- SAMPLING-- VACUUM-- VOLATILITY-- WELDING-- ZIRCALOY
MINERALOGY, METALLURGY, AND CERAMICS