SEDL / STP / STP1467-EB / STP37537S

Failure of Hydrided Zircaloy-4 Under Equal-Biaxial and Plane-Strain Tensile Deformation

Glendening, A
Penn State University, University Park, PA

Koss, DA
Penn State University, University Park, PA

Motta, AT
Penn State University, University Park, PA

Pierron, ON
Penn State University, University Park, PA

Damt, RS
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL

Pages: 18    Published: Jan 2005

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Abstract

The fracture behavior of unirradiated Zircaloy-4 containing either solid hydride blisters or hydrided rims has been examined for the contrasting conditions of equal-biaxial and plane-strain tensile deformation at three temperatures (25°, 300°, and 375°C). Cold-worked and stress-relieved Zircaloy-4 sheet containing hydride blisters shows nearly identical failure strains in equal-biaxial and plane-strain tensile deformation for a wide range of blister or rim depths. In all cases, failure strains decrease rapidly with increasing hydride blister or rim thickness, especially in the ⩽100 μm range. Test temperature has a significant effect on ductility with failure strains at 300° and 375°C being much greater than at room temperature. The results indicate that the ductility of material containing hydride rims/blisters greater than ≈ 30–40 μm deep is limited by crack growth, which occurs in a mode I manner at 25°C but in a mixed mode I/II manner at ⩾300°C (and at higher failure strain levels).