Microstructural evolution of zirconium alloy under dynamic compression at strain rate of 1000s^(-1)

Microstructural evolution of the zirconium alloy deformed at a strain rate of about 1000 s-1 was investigated. Four different strain levels of the zirconium alloy subjected to dynamic compression were designed by several-times impacting at almost the same strain rate. The results show that abundant low angle boundaries at different strain levels were observed in the deformed microstructures, and the quantity and density of low angle boundary increase dramatically with the strain increasing. Besides low angle boundaries and high angle boundaries observed in grain boundary maps, the twin boundaries including the tensile twins {10 2}, {11 1} and compressive twins {11 2} were distinguished at different strain levels, and most twin boundaries were indexed as {10 2} twins. With the stain increasing, the twin boundary density in the deformed microstructures increases indistinctively. Based on the characterization of the deformed microstructures at the different strain levels, the deformation and evolution processes of the zirconium alloy subjected to dynamic loading were proposed. Microhardness measurements show that the microhardness in the impacted specimens increases gradually with the strain increasing, which should be associated with the strain hardening caused by the tangled dislocation.

EFFECT OF MELT OVER-HEATING AND ZIRCONIUM ALLOYING ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF Al_9FeNi PHASE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF 2618 ALLOY

The effect of melt over-heating on the morphology of Al_9FeNi phase in 2618aluminum alloy with high contents of Fe and Ni and 0.22 wt. percent zirconium has been investigatedby optical microscopy. SEM and TEM. The mechanical properties of 2618 aluminum alloy after hotextrusion and quenching/aging have been tested. The results show: melt over-heating treatment of2618 alloy with high contents of Fe and Ni at 960 deg C led to finer and better-distributedneedle-like Al_9FeNi phase in cast microstructure and fine Al_9FeNi particles after hot extrusion;the grain size of the alloy after hot extrusion could also be refined evidently by alloying ofzirconium; the ambient and high temperature tensile strength and elongation of 2618 alloy have beenapparently enhanced due to fine Al_9FeNi particles and dispersed Al_3Zr as well as fine grain size.

Existing form and effect of zirconium in pure Mg,Mg-Yb,and Mg-Zn-Yb alloys

The existing form and grain refining effects of small zirconium addition in pure Mg, Mg-Yb and Mg-Zn binary alloys, and Mg-Zn-Yb ternary alloy （ZK60-Yb） were investigated. The results show that Zr element exists mainly in single and cluster particles of pure α-Zr or Zn-Zr compounds inside grains and at grain boundaries. Only the particles located in the interior of grains can act as the nucleus for α-Mg growth and effectively promote the formation of fine equiaxed grains. The broken and dispersed Zr-rich particles produced during the hot extrusion process can form nebulous banded structure in which these fine particles may act as obstacles to dislocation motion in wrought magnesium alloys.

Effects of annealing treatments on forming performance of zirconium alloys

The effects of annealing treatments(ATs)on the microstructure of Zr-Sn-Nb alloy strips were studied.Based on the characteristics of strips for nuclear fuel assemblies,punching experiments were carried out and the formability of zirconium alloy strips was quantitatively evaluated.The results indicate that the proportions of small-angle grain boundaries of the zirconium alloy under conditions of annealing treatment at 580°C(ATⅠ)and annealing treatment at 620°C(ATⅡ)are 14.3%and 23.2%,respectively,while that of the as-received material is 12.4%.And the forming limit margin fields of the zirconium alloy under ATⅠcan reach 0.43%,while the values of the as-received material and the ATⅡare-0.35%and-2.8%,respectively.The annealing process affects the evolution process of the strip recrystallization texture and the grain size.Moreover,the total texture and pole density are closely related to the degree of anisotropy of the strip.Besides,the small-angle grain boundary affects the strain path and crack expansion of the necking unit during the strip punching process,while the grain size affects the hardening exponent of the material.

Interfacial reaction between zirconium alloy and graphite mold/yttrium oxide ceramic mold

Zirconium alloys are active in the molten state and tend to react with the mold during casting. The casting technology of zirconium is not yet well established; especially in selecting the mold materials, which are difficult to determine. In the present work, the interfacial reactions between zirconium casting and casting mold were studied. The zirconium alloy was melted in a vacuum arc skull furnace and then cast into the graphite mold and ceramic mold, respectively. The zirconium casting samples were characterized using SEM, EDS and XRD with an emphasis on the chemical diffusion of elements. A reaction layer was observed at the casting surface. Chemical analysis shows that chemical elements C, O and Y from the mold are diffused into the molten zirconium, and new phases, such as ZrC, Zr30, YO1.335 and Y6ZrO11, are formed at the surface. In addition, an end product of zirconium valve cast in a yttria mold has a compact structure and good surface quality.

The Influence of Different Contents of Bi Addition on the Corrosion Behavior of Various Zirconium-Based Alloys

Zr-4(Zr-1.5Sn-0.2Fe-0.1Cr,wt%), S5(Zr-0.8Sn-0.34Nb-0.39Fe-0.1Cr), T5(Zr-0.7Sn-1.07Nb-0.32Fe-0.08Cr) and Zr-1Nb were adopted to prepare Bi-containing zirconium alloys for systematically investigating the effect of Bi addition on the corrosion resistance of zirconium alloys. The specimens were corroded in superheated steam at 400℃/10.3 MPa, and in lithiated water with 0.01 M LiOH or in deionized water at 360℃/18.6 MPa by autoclave testing. Results show that the corrosion resistance increases with the increasing of Bi content dissolved in α-Zr. But the presence of Bi-con- taining second phase particles (SPPs) is unfavorable for the enhancement of corrosion resistance. This indicates that the Bi dissolved in α-Zr matrix plays an important role in improving the corrosion resistance, while the precipitation of the Bi-containing SPPs does harm to the corrosion resistance.

Different grain refinement mechanisms of minor zirconium and cerium in magnesium alloys

Zirconium and rare earth element cerium were added in magnesium and magnesium alloys to study their different grain refinement mechanisms. The results show that zirconium has an obvious refinement effect on the cast grain of magnesium and its alloys without the alloy element Al because the crystal structure of zirconium is the same as magnesium matrix,and the lattice parameters are close to magnesium. Zirconium can decrease the grain size of magnesium from 150 to 20 μm. The rare earth cerium also has a grain refinement effect on Mg and Mg-Al alloy. The cerium atoms tend to remain in the liquid rather than solidify with the solvent atoms magnesium at the solid-liquid interface. The liquid constitutional undercooling can provide a heterogeneous crystal nucleation. The grain is refined from 200 μm to 40-80 μm. These two elements have different grain refinement mechanism on Mg alloy. The mechanism of zirconium is that it acts as the nuclei of α-Mg. But the mechanism of cerium is that it increases the liquid constitutional undercooling that can provide a heterogeneous crystal nucleation for the alloy.

OUT-OF-PILE CORROSION RESISTANCE OF NEW ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS IN 500 ℃/10 3MPa STEAM

he out of pile corrosion resistance of new Zirconium alloys in 500℃/10 3MPa steam has been investigated and the effect of alloying elements, Sn,Nb,Fe,Cr on the property has been analyzed. The results show that the new alloys have better corrosion resistance than Zircaloy 4. That no nodular corrosion is found during test cycles shows the nodular corrosion resistance can be dramatically improved by addition of alloying elements Nb. The Fe/Cr ratio should be properly controlled if there is Cr addition in the alloys when developing new alloys.

Effects of scandium and zirconium combination alloying on as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-4Cu-1.5Mg alloy

The influences of minor scandium and zirconium combination alloying on the as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-4Cu-1.5Mg alloy have been experimentally investigated.The experimental results show that when the minor elements of scandium and zirconium are simultaneously added into the Al-4Cu-1.5Mg alloy,the as-cast microstructure of the alloy is effectively modified and the grains of the alloy are greatly refined.The coarse dendrites in the microstructure of the alloy without Sc and Zr additions are refined to the uniform and fine equiaxed grains.As the additions of Sc and Zr are 0.4% and 0.2%,respectively,the tensile strength,yield strength and elongation of the alloy are relatively better,which are 275.0 MPa,176.0 MPa and 8.0% respectively.The tensile strength is increased by 55.3%,and the elongation is nearly raised three times,compared with those of the alloy without Sc and Zr additions.

Relations of Microstructural Attributes and Strength-Ductility of Zirconium Alloys with Hydrides

As the first safety barrier of nuclear reactors,zirconium alloy cladding tubes have attracted extensive attention because of its good mechanical properties.The strength and ductility of zirconium alloy are of great significance to the service process of cladding tubes,while brittle hydrides precipitate and thus deteriorate the overall performance.Based on the cohesive finite element method,the effects of cohesive strength,interfacial characteristics,and hydrides geometric characteristics on the strength and ductility of two-phase material(zirconium alloy with hydrides)are numerically simulated.The results show that the fracture behavior is significantly affected by the cohesive strength and that the overall strength and ductility are sensitive to the cohesive strength of the zirconium alloy.Furthermore,the interface is revealed to have prominent effects on the overall fracture behavior.When the cohesive strength and fracture energy of the interface are higher than those of the hydride phase,fracture initiates in the hydrides,which is consistent with the experimental phenomena.In addition,it is found that the number density and arrangement of hydrides play important roles in the overall strength and ductility.Our simulation provides theoretical support for the performance analysis of hydrogenated zirconium alloys during nuclear reactor operation.

Study on Corrosion Resistance of N36 Zirconium Alloy in LiOH Aqueous Solution

Zr-Sn-Nb-Fe alloys are one of the important directions for continuous improvement of zirconium alloys for high burn-up fuel assemblies. The corrosion resistance of Zr-Sn-Nb-Fe alloys is closely related to the alloying element and water chemical condition. To better understand the effect of Sn on corrosion resistance of Zr-Sn-Nb-Fe alloy, the normal N36 (Zr-1Sn-1Nb-0.3Fe) and low-tin N36 (Zr-0.8Sn-1Nb-0.3Fe) alloy sheets were prepared and tested in static autoclave in both of 0.01 mol/L LiOH and 0.03 mol/L LiOH aqueous solution at 360°C and 18.6 MPa. The characteristics of the microstructure and oxide film of alloys were analyzed by TEM and SEM respectively. It was shown that that the corrosion transition of the normal N36 appears earlier and the weight gain is higher than the low-tin N36 in two corrosive mediums. The cracks paralleling to the interface of oxide/metal are formed in the fracture surface of the oxide film and the micrographs at the oxide film/substrate interface appear uneven morphology. With the increasing of corrosion gain, there are more parallel cracks in oxide film and the uneven morphology at the oxide film/substrate interface is more obvious.

Improvement in corrosion resistance of Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)alloy by Zr addition

Magnesium alloys,known for their exceptional lightweight properties,have presented challenges in various applications due to their limited corrosion resistance.In this study,the corrosion resistance of Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)magnesium alloys was enhanced by incorporating Zr elements into the Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)matrix,which is distinguished by long periodic stacking ordered(LPSO)phases.Results show that Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)-xwt.%Zr(x=0,0.1,0.3,0.6)alloys containing Zr exhibit reduced hydrogen evolution rates and decreased corrosion levels compared with that without Zr,when immersed in a 3.5wt.%NaCl solution.Addition of 0.3wt.%Zr results in the most significant improvement,with a corrosion rate as low as 2.261 mL·cm^(-2),representing an 86%reduction from 16.438 mL·cm^(-2)of the base alloy.Furthermore,alloys with Zr additions demonstrate a more positive corrosion potential and lower corrosion current density than does the matrix alloy(64.92μA·cm^(-2)).The lowest corrosion current density,21.61μA·cm^(-2),occurs with the addition of 0.3wt.%Zr.The introduction of Zr induces a change in the microstructure of the LPSO phases,increasing the charge transfer resistance within the alloy and thus effectively improving its corrosion resistance.

Effect of Different Laser Energy Nitriding on the Fretting Wear Performance of Zr Alloy

The zirconium(Zr)alloy fuel cladding is one of the key structural components of a nuclear reactor and the first and most important line of defense for accommodating fission products.During the operation of nuclear reactors,Zr alloy fuel cladding is subjected to extreme harsh environments,such as high temperature,high pressure and high flow rate for a long period of time.The wear and corrosion resistance of Zr alloys is important for the safe operation of nuclear reactors.Surface modification can effectively improve the corrosion and wear resistance of fuel cladding.Compared with coating technology,nitriding technology does not have problems for bonding between the coating and the substrate.Current research on surface nitriding of Zr alloys mainly focuses on plasma nitriding and ion implantation techniques.Research on laser nitriding of Zr alloy surfaces and their fretting wear characteristics is scarce.In this study,the surface of Zr alloy was treated with laser nitriding at different laser energies.The microstructure of Zr alloy treated with different laser energies and its fretting wear performance were studied.The results showed that after nitriding with different laser energies,the surface of the Zr alloy showed a typical molten state after melting,vaporizing and cooling under the thermal effect of the laser,and this state was more obvious with the increase of the laser energy.At the same time,doping of N atoms and formation of the ZrN phase led to different cooling rates in the molten zone that produced large tensile stresses after cooling.This led to cracks on the surface of Zr alloys after laser nitriding at different energies,and the crack density increased with increasing laser energy.This also led to an increase in the surface roughness of the Zr alloy with increasing laser energy after laser nitriding treatment.Due to the presence of water in the industrial nitrogen,nitrides were generated on the surface of the sample along with some oxides.When the laser energy was 100 mJ,there was no ZrN generation,and N existed mainly as a diffusion layer within the Zr alloy substrate.ZrN generated when the laser energy reached 200 mJ and above,which increased with the increase of laser energy.Due to the generation of ZrN phase and the presence of some oxides,the surface Vickers hardness of Zr alloys after laser nitriding treatment at different energies increased by 37.5%compared to Zr alloys.After laser nitriding treatment,the wear mechanism of Zr alloys changed.For the untreated Zr alloys,the wear mechanism was dominated by delamination and spalling wear,accompanied by oxidative and abrasive wear.The phenomenon of delamination and peeling decreased with the increase of laser energy.Wear mechanisms changed to predominantly abrasive wear with oxidative wear and delamination spalling.The wear volume of sample nitriding with laser energy 400 mJ was reduced by 46.5%compared with that of untreated Zr alloy.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of as-quenched Mg-Gd-Zr alloys

Mg-xGd-0.6Zr （x=2, 4, 6, mass fraction） alloys were prepared by semi-continuous casting process. The effects of Gd content on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg-xGd-0.6Zr alloys were studied and the solid solution treatment process of Mg-6Gd-0.6Zr alloys was optimized. The microstructures and mechanical properties of all the studied alloys were analyzed by optical microscope, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscope and micro-hardness tester. The results show that the grain size slightly decreases with increasing Gd content and there is a close linear relationship between Gd content and micro-hardness of Mg-xGd-0.6Zr alloys. The second phases Mg 2 Gd and Mg 3 Gd formed due to non-equilibrium solidification during the casting process can be transformed into equilibrium phase Mg 5.05 Gd which can dissolve into α-Mg solid solution phase at solution temperature of 460 ℃ The optimized solid solution treatment of Mg-6Gd-0.6Zr alloy is （300 ℃ 6 h） ＋ （460 ℃ 10 h）.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of zircaloy-4 alloy with DC regime and properties of coatings

The plasma electrolytic oxidation（PEO） coatings on zircaloy？4 alloy were prepared in silicate,phosphate and pyrophosphate electrolyte systems or their combination by DC current regime.The proper processing parameters were determined and the coatings were evaluated by electrochemistry technique,micro-hardness,SEM and XRD.The results show that the coating prepared in pure silicate system is uneven and after the addition of phosphate solution,the homogeneity of the coating is still poor.The coating prepared in pure pyrophosphate electrolyte system is homogeneous,but its hardness value is low.After the addition of silicate into the pyrophosphate electrolytic system,both the uniformity and hardness of the coating are improved.The XRD results show that the phase compositions are m-ZrO2 and t-ZrO2,the addition of silicate is beneficial to the formation of t-ZrO2.The results of polarization curves show that the coatings prepared in pyrophosphate and the mixture of pyrophosphate and silicate have better corrosion resistance.

Homogenization and Recrystallization of Al-6Mg Alloys with and without Sc and Zr

Plates of Al-6Mg alloys with and without scandium were prepared by semi-continuous cast, homogenization, hot-rolled, cold-rolled and annealing. Based on studying of effects of temperature and time on hardness and conductivity during homogenization, it was found that homogenization of ingot with Sc and Zr can result in dispersion strengthening. Recrystallization temperature of alloys was studied by hardness method and optical metallographic method. Staring recrystallization temperature of Al-6Mg alloys with Sc and Zr is 375 ℃, increasing by 150 ℃ than Al-6Mg alloys without Sc and Zr. Mechanical properties (σ_b, σ_(0.2), δ) of hot-rolled alloy with Sc and Zr are 400 MPa, 280 MPa and 18%; cold-rolled and anneal alloy with Sc and Zr are 420 MPa, 310 MPa and 12% respectively.

Structure and properties of an ultra-high strength 7xxx aluminum alloy contained Sc and Zr

An ultra-high strength aluminum alloy was produced by casting and then extruded to rods. The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy was investigated. After single ageing （120℃, 24 h）, the tensile strength was 812.4 MPa and the elongation was 6.2%. After retrogression reaging （RRA）, the tensile strength was 751.2 MPa and the elongation was 6.4%. The strengthening mechanism is considered as fine grain strengthening, substructure strengthening and dispersion strengthening by Al3（Sc, Zr）.

Preparation and structure of microarc oxidation ceramic coatings containing ZrO2 grown on LY12 Al alloy

Ceramic coatings containing ZrO2 were prepared in situ on LY12 aluminum alloy by microarc oxidation（MAO） in the mixed solution of zirconate and phosphate solution.The phase composition and morphology of the coatings were studied by XRD and SEM,respectively.The growing mechanism of ceramic coatings was discussed in a preliminary manner.The results show that with an increase in MAO time,the compactness of the coating improved and the thickness increased.From the inner layer to the coating surface,the content of Zr increased,while the content of Al decreased.In addition,the coating was composed of m-ZrO2,t-ZrO2,and a little amount of γ-Al2O3.With an increase in reaction time,the relative content of t-ZrO2 within the coating sharply decreased while the relative content of m-ZrO2 sharply increased,and then both generally kept at a constant level after 60 min.

Effect of trace Sc and Zr on aging behavior and tensile properties of 2618 alloy

The aging behavior of 2618 (Al Cu Mg Fe Ni) alloy added trace Sc and Zr was studied by Vicker’s hardness measurement at 200 and 300 ℃, and the tensile properties(yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation) of alloys were measured at 20, 200, 250 and 300 ℃. The microstructures were observed by using optical microscope, SEM and TEM. It was found that the addition of Sc and Zr to 2618 alloy resulted in a uniform distribution of fine coherent Al 3(Sc,Zr) precipitates which had obvious aging hardening effect and made the S’ phase precipitate more homogeneously. The strength of alloy increased at ambient and elevated temperature without a decrease of ductility because of the precipitation strengthening and thermal stability of Al 3(Sc,Zr) particles. The ductile fracture of alloy occurred by microviod nucleation, growth and coalescence, so the microvoid coalescence was the dominant fracture mechanism. Al 3(Sc,Zr) particles could inhabit the recrystallization process of alloy 2618.

Effect of Sc on Precipitation Hardening of AlSi6Mg Alloy

The effect of Sc on precipitation hardening of AlSi6Mg was studied.Zr was previously reported that it increased the effectiveness of Sc in wrought aluminum in many areas so Zr was also used together with Sc in this study. Different levels of Sc and Zr additions were added to AlSi6Mg before casting in the permanent mold.The samples were precipitation hardened at different aging temperatures and for various aging time before testing for tensile strength and hardness.It was found that Sc addition into Al6SiMg can change its response to age hardening.Additions of Sc and Sc with Zr increased both yield strength and hardness for both aging temperatures.In addition,Sc was found to modify eutectic Si to obtain fibrous morphology.This effect of Sc on eutectic silicon modification has never been reported before.