Uniaxial tensile properties of Zircaloy containing oxygen: summary report

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5244985· OSTI ID:5244985

Garde, A M; Chung, H M; Kassner, T F

The uniaxial stress-strain behavior of Zircaloy-2 and -4, Zircaloy-oxygen alloys with a uniform oxygen distribution, and composite specimens with a ZrO/sub 2//..cap alpha../..beta.. layer structure was investigated over the range of experimental conditions: temperature 25-1400/sup 0/C; strain rate 10/sup -6/ - 10/sup -1/ s/sup -1/; oxygen content 0.11 - 4.4 wt %; grain size 5-50 ..mu..m; texture longitudinal, transverse, and diagonal orientations; and microstructural state, which consists of the equiaxed ..cap alpha.. phase and various transformed ..beta.. acicular structures. The work-hardening and strain-rate sensitivity parameters were determined from the experimental results, and the tensile properties were correlated with oxygen concentration, oxygen distribution in the material, and microstructure. Dynamic strain-aging phenomena were observed in Zircaloy at 200, 400, and 700/sup 0/C, and superplastic deformation occurred at 850 and 1000/sup 0/C. An increase in the oxygen concentration in homogeneous Zircaloy-oxygen alloys increased the ultimate tensile strength and decreased the total strain, particularly below approximately 900/sup 0/C. In composite specimens with the ZrO/sub 2//..cap alpha../..beta.. structure, the total oxygen content had little effect on the ultimate tensile strength below approximately 1000/sup 0/C, but the strength increased with oxygen content at higher temperatures. Information on the effects of grain size, oxygen content, texture, and strain rate on the stress-strain behavior suggests that the dominant mechanism of superplastic deformation in Zircaloy near approximately 850/sup 0/C is grain-boundary sliding at the ..cap alpha..-..beta.. interface with accommodation by diffusional creep, dislocation slip, and grain-boundary migration. Good correlation was obtained between ductility and values of the strain-rate sensitivity parameter.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Ill. (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5244985
• Report Number(s): ANL-77-30
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103* -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
ALLOYS
CHROMIUM ADDITIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
GRAIN ORIENTATION
HARDENING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRON ADDITIONS
IRON ALLOYS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MICROSTRUCTURE
ORIENTATION
STRAIN HARDENING
STRAINS
STRESSES
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TIN ALLOYS
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCALOY 2
ZIRCALOY 4
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS