Lattice Strain and Texture of Plastically Deformed Zircaloy-2 at 77K
Zircaloy-2 is used extensively in the nuclear industry as a structural material for the reactor core in both light and heavy water reactors. The intergranular strains and texture greatly affect the mechanical properties of the material while in operation. Understanding the plastic deformation of Zircaloy-2 will improve on current plastic deformation models, particularly for twinning mechanisms, which are more active at lower temperatures, and are not yet well understood. For this study, neutron diffraction was used to track the lattice spacing and peak intensity in warm-rolled and recrystallized Zircaloy-2 slab for various crystallographic orientations at 77 K. Tests were performed in all three principle directions under tension and compression. The texture was measured for the deformed samples to help interpret the dominant deformation systems and then Electron Back Scattering Diffraction was used to identify and image the active twinning modes. Prism slip, basal slip, {10-12} and {11-2 1} tensile twinning, and {11-2 2} compression twinning were found to be contributing deformation systems in Zircaloy-2 at 77K. In this study, the diffraction elastic constants for Zircaloy-2 at room temperature and 77K are reported for the first time in open literature. These values will be useful in future experimental work by allowing a conversion between lattice spacing and residual stress.
Zirconium, Slip, Twinning, Deformation, Lattice Strain, EBSD, Texture, Zircaloy-2
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