S.K. Jha

Microstructural Studies of Heat Treated Zr-2.5Nb Alloy for Pressure Tube Applications

Zr-2.5Nb alloy is used as pressure tube material in pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWR). Generally, these pressure tubes are used in the cold drawn condition. Heat treated Zr-2.5Nb alloy pressure tubes are used in reaktor bolshoy moshchnosti kanalniy and FUGEN type of reactors. In recent times, there has been a greater interest toward increasing the life of pressure tubes in advanced reactors. In the present work, fabrication parameters were optimized to manufacture heat treated Zr-2.5Nb alloy tube. A quenching dilatometer study was performed to establish the continuous cooling transus temperature for the alloy used in this study. Heat treatment under controlled condition in a dilatometer was performed to study microstructure at different soaking temperatures and cooling rates. In the dilatometer, during gas quenching, quenching rates were varied from 0.06 to 100°C/s to assess the effect of cooling rate on resulting microstructures. Soaking temperature and cooling rates were varied to obtain martensitic microstructure with appropriate volume fractions of primary α. On the basis of the results obtained during controlled heat treatments performed in the quenching dilatometer, 883°C was selected as the soaking temperature and water as the quenching medium for the α + β quenching operation for large dimension tubes. The α + β quenched microstructures, consisting of fine martensite phase along with 20%–25% primary α volume fraction, were used for further cold deformation and subsequent aging below the recrystallization temperature. Aging at 540°C produced fully recovered and tempered structure consisting of βNb of equilibrium composition. Mechanical properties of the finished heat treated pressure tube (aged at 515°C/24 h) produced with the present route were similar to the cold work pressure tube. Tube produced with 540°C/24 h aging exhibited substantially higher yield strength value at reactor operating temperature (300°C). The bulk texture at different stages of fabrication was evaluated. The volume fraction of the primary α phase significantly controls the final texture.

Study on Recrystallization Behavior of Nb-1Zr-0.1C Alloy

The Nb-1%Zr-0.1%C (wt%) alloy is one of the most promising refractory metal alloys having an excellent combination of high temperature properties. Such a combination of properties makes it suitable for several structural applications in the Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR). In order to produce the alloy in different shape and sizes a new thermo-mechanical route has been established. The central idea behind the development of such thermo-mechanical route is to reduce the working temperature and provide suitable intermediate annealing treatments to develop desired microstructures. The present paper reports about the application of orientation imaging microscopy in optimizing annealing parameters like temperature and time as a function of the extent of deformation. Samples were also characterized by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. It has been shown that a heat treatment of 1300°C for 3 hour could produce nearly full-recrystallized microstructure. This paper also discusses about the carbide precipitation, their morphologies, chemical compositions and orientations with the matrix phase.

Texture and Microstructure Development during Swaging and Annealing Process of Fabrication of Zircaloy-4 Rod Products

In this study a systematic characterization of the microstructural and textural evolution in each thermo-mechanical processing step of Zircaloy-4 rod fabrication has been carried out. The possible micro-mechanisms leading to the observed microstructural evolutions have been discussed. The thermo-mechanical steps followed resulted in a completely recrystallized microstructure and retention of the hot-extruded texture in the finished product.

Role of activation energies of individual phases in two-phase range on constitutive equation of Zr–2.5Nb–0.5Cu alloy

Abstract Dominant phase during hot deformation in the two-phase region of Zr–2.5Nb–0.5Cu (ZNC) alloy was studied using activation energy calculation of individual phases. Thermo-mechanical compression tests were performed on a two-phase ZNC alloy in the temperature range of 700–925 °C and strain rate range of 10 −2 –10 s −1 . Flow stress data of the single phase were extrapolated in the two-phase range to calculate flow stress data of individual phases. Activation energies of individual phases were then calculated using calculated flow stress data in the two-phase range. Comparison of activation energies revealed that α phase is the dominant phase (deformation controlling phase) in the two-phase range. Constitutive equations were also developed on the basis of the deformation temperature range (or according to phases present) using a sine-hyperbolic type constitutive equation. The statistical analysis revealed that the constitutive equation developed for a particular phase showed good agreement with the experimental results in terms of correlation coefficient ( R ) and average absolute relative error (AARE).

Hot Deformation Behaviour and Microstructural Evaluation of Zr-1Nb Alloy

In nuclear water reactors, zirconium alloys are extensively used as fuel cladding material and in other structural applications. Uniaxial hot compression tests were performed to understand the deformation behavior of Zr-1Nb alloy. Therefore, hot compression tests were performed in the temperature range of 700-1050°C, which envelopes α-phase, (α+β) phase, and β-phase. True stress-strain curves, processing maps, microstructural observation and kinetic analysis were used to discuss the deformation behavior of Zr-1Nb alloy. Deformation at a strain rate of 10-2 s-1 reveals softening at lower temperatures and steady state behavior at higher temperatures. Processing map also reveals domain of high efficiency at 10-2 s-1 strain rate for a wide range of deformation temperatures. The flow softening and high power dissipation efficiency predicts dynamic recrystallization or dynamic recovery during the hot deformation of studied alloy.

Determination of Instability in Zr-2.5Nb-0.5Cu Using Lyapunov Function

Hot workability of Zr-2.5Nb-0.5Cu alloy has been investigated by means of hot compression test using Gleeble-3800®, in the temperature and strain rate range of 700 to 925°C and 0.01-10s-1, respectively. Deformation behavior was characterized in terms of flow instability using peak stress with the help of Lyapunov Function. The true stress-strain curves shows that softening occurs at all lower temperature and for entire strain rates of deformation. The instable flow was suggested by negative m value at deformation condition of 700°C (5 and 10 s-1), while s value at 925°C (10 s-1). The combined result of rate of change of m and s with respect to log strain rate suggest that the deformation condition ranges from 725-780°C (10-2- 10-1 s-1) and 700°C (1-10 s-1) representing safe domain for stable flow.