U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
Ultrasonic testing of the fracture toughness of Zr-Nb pressure tubes
Abstract
Bulk elastic properties were measured, using ultrasound, in thickness and circumferential directions of 13 Zr-Nb pressure tubes samples from CANDU nuclear reactors in the hope of finding a nondestructive means to evaluate fracture toughness. The longitudinal wave velocity in the thickness direction are found especially sensitive to changes in the {alpha}-Zr single-crystal c axis orientation distribution. This is verified by comparing measured values to predictions based on neutron diffraction measurements of the crystallographic orientation distribution and on the single-crystal elastic constants of {alpha}-Zr. Moreover, those velocities most sensitive to texture correlate best with the crack growth toughness of the pressure tubes. This led to the discovery of a correlation between the degree of alignment of the crystallographic c axes along the tube circumferential direction and crack growth toughness. The better is the alignment, the lower is crack growth toughness. Because of the measurement simplicity, the ultrasonic technique could be developed into a rugged industrial sensor.
- Authors:
-
- National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec (Canada). Industrial Materials Inst.
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 418166
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960706-
ISBN 0-7918-1769-5; TRN: 97:002017
- Resource Type:
- Book
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) pressure vessels and piping conference, Montreal (Canada), 21-26 Jul 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of NDE engineering codes and standards and materials characterization. PVP-Volume 322; NDE-Volume 15; Cook, J.F. Sr. [ed.] [Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)]; Cowfer, D.C. [ed.] [Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (United States)]; Monahan, C.C. [ed.] [Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland, St. John`s, Newfoundland (Canada)]; PB: 100 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 21 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; CANDU TYPE REACTORS; PRESSURE TUBES; FRACTURE PROPERTIES; ULTRASONIC TESTING; ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS; NIOBIUM ALLOYS; CRACK PROPAGATION; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; THEORETICAL DATA
Citation Formats
Moreau, A, and Bussiere, J F. Ultrasonic testing of the fracture toughness of Zr-Nb pressure tubes. United States: N. p., 1996.
Web.
Moreau, A, & Bussiere, J F. Ultrasonic testing of the fracture toughness of Zr-Nb pressure tubes. United States.
Moreau, A, and Bussiere, J F. 1996.
"Ultrasonic testing of the fracture toughness of Zr-Nb pressure tubes". United States.
@article{osti_418166,
title = {Ultrasonic testing of the fracture toughness of Zr-Nb pressure tubes},
author = {Moreau, A and Bussiere, J F},
abstractNote = {Bulk elastic properties were measured, using ultrasound, in thickness and circumferential directions of 13 Zr-Nb pressure tubes samples from CANDU nuclear reactors in the hope of finding a nondestructive means to evaluate fracture toughness. The longitudinal wave velocity in the thickness direction are found especially sensitive to changes in the {alpha}-Zr single-crystal c axis orientation distribution. This is verified by comparing measured values to predictions based on neutron diffraction measurements of the crystallographic orientation distribution and on the single-crystal elastic constants of {alpha}-Zr. Moreover, those velocities most sensitive to texture correlate best with the crack growth toughness of the pressure tubes. This led to the discovery of a correlation between the degree of alignment of the crystallographic c axes along the tube circumferential direction and crack growth toughness. The better is the alignment, the lower is crack growth toughness. Because of the measurement simplicity, the ultrasonic technique could be developed into a rugged industrial sensor.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/418166},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}