The role of hydrides and precipitates on the strain localisation behaviour in a zirconium alloy

In service, zirconium alloys undergo aqueous corrosion and hydrogen is absorbed, which can lead to the formation of hydrides. Hydrides, as well as the precipitates in zirconium alloys, affect the mechanical performance, though their contribution to plasticity is not yet well understood. This study uses a combination of high -resolution digital image correlation and electron backscatter diffraction to quantify the strain partitioning between the different phases. Following uniaxial tensile deformation, it was found that the average strain within the 6-ZrH and Zr(Fe,Cr)2 was lower than in the alpha-Zr. Shear bands in the alpha-Zr matrix were observed to interact with small and medium sized hydride in multiple ways, such as terminating at the interface, cracking and shear around the interface or causing plastic slip in the hydride. Large hydrides showed a particularly detrimental effect on deformation behavior, with large strain localizations and cracking observed at interfaces, which are typically precursors to failure. In contrast, the Zr(Fe,Cr)2 precipitates remained undeformed and forced the expected metal-matrix lattice rotation. The importance of these observations in context of fuel cladding integrity is discussed.

Automated summary

This study quantifies the strain partitioning between different phases in zirconium alloys using high-resolution digital image correlation and electron backscatter diffraction. It was found that the average strain in hydrides and precipitates was lower than in the α-Zr matrix after tensile deformation. Shear bands in the α-Zr matrix interacted with hydrides in various ways, while large hydrides had a particularly detrimental effect on deformation behavior. The Zr(Fe,Cr)2 precipitates remained undeformed and forced the expected lattice rotation in the metal matrix.