Effect of quench rate on the mechanical properties of U-6 wt % Nb

Technical Report · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5281086

Eckelmeyer, K H

U-6 wt % Nb conventionally is water quenched from 800/sup 0/C in order to obtain a niobium supersaturated ..cap alpha..'' structure having good corrosion resistance and high ductility (125% tensile elongation). The high cooling rate associated with the water quench, however, produces undesirable distortion and residual stress. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which the quench rate could be reduced (in order to minimize the distortion and residual stress problems) without sacrificing properties. The results indicate that quench rate can be reduced by as much as a factor of 10 without any loss of ductility, and that a factor of 100 reduction in quench rate (as is produced by air cooling) still produces material with moderate ductility (> 12% tensile elongation). The results also indicate that supersaturated ..cap alpha..'' structures are produced at all of these quench rates. This suggests that these reductions in quench rate should not have drastic adverse effects on corrosion resistance. Hence, it should not be possible to substantially reduce the magnitudes of the distortion and residual stress problems while retaining appreciable ductility and corrosion resistance in U-6 wt % Nb.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5281086
• Report Number(s): SAND-80-0132; TRN: 80-012593
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
CORROSION RESISTANCE
DUCTILITY
QUENCHING
METALLURGICAL EFFECTS
URANIUM BASE ALLOYS
AGING
COOLING
ELONGATION
FRACTURES
PHASE DIAGRAMS
SURFACES
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ALLOYS
DIAGRAMS
FAILURES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
TENSILE PROPERTIES
URANIUM ALLOYS
360105* - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion
360103 - Metals & Alloys- Mechanical Properties
360101 - Metals & Alloys- Preparation & Fabrication