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Process for forming seamless tubing of zirconium or titanium alloys from welded precursors

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5925734
A process is described for forming seamless tubing of a material selected from zirconium, zirconium alloys, titanium, and titanium alloys, from welded precursor tubing of the material, having a heterogeneous structure resulting from the welding thereof. The process consists of: heating successive axial segments of the welded tubing, completely through the wall thereof, including the weld, to uniformly transform the heterogeneous, as welded, material into the beta phase; quenching the beta phase tubing segments, the heating and quenching effected sufficiently rapid enough to produce a fine sized beta grain structure completely throughout the precursor tubing, including the weld, and to prevent growth of beta grains within the material larger than 200 micrometers in diameter; and subsequently uniformly deforming the quenched precursor tubing by cold reduction steps to produce a seamless tubing of final size and shape.
Assignee:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
Patent Number(s):
US 4690716
OSTI ID:
5925734
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English