Related papers: Characterization of local deformation around hydri…
Zircaloy-4 is used extensively as nuclear fuel cladding materials and hydride embrittlement is a major failure mechanism. To explore the effect of {\delta}-hydride on plastic deformation and performance of Zircaloy-4, in situ high angular…
The long-term safety of water-based nuclear reactors relies in part on the reliability of zirconium-based nuclear fuel. Yet the progressive ingress of hydrogen during service makes zirconium alloys subject to delayed hydride cracking. Here,…
Microstructure and crystallography of {\delta} phase hydrides in as-received fine grain and 'blocky' alpha large grain Zircaloy-4 (average grain size ~11 {\mu}m and >200 {\mu}m, respectively) were examined using electron backscatter…
The interaction of hydrogen and metals continues to be industrially relevant and is a critical part of creating and supporting a safety case for nuclear reactor operation. In the present work, we explore hydrogen storage and hydride…
The interactions between {\delta}-hydrides and plastic slip in a commercial zirconium alloy, Zircaloy-4, under stress were studied using in situ secondary electron microscope (SEM) micropillar compression tests of single crystal samples and…
Microstructural analysis with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) involves sectioning and polishing to create a flat and preparation-artifact free surface. The quality of EBSD analysis is often dependant on this step, and this motivates…
Zirconium alloys are used as nuclear fuel cladding material due to their mechanical and corrosion resistant properties together with their favorable cross-section for neutron scattering. At running conditions, however, there will be an…
Zircaloy-4 (Zr-1.5%Sn-0.2%Fe-0.1%Cr wt. %) was electrochemically charged with deuterium to create deuterides and subsequently analysed with atom probe tomography and scanning transmission electron microscopy to understand zirconium hydride…
High-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction was utilized to study the mechanical response of the f.c.c $\delta$-hydride phase, the intermetallic precipitation with hexagonal C14 lave phase and the $\alpha$-Zr phase in the Zircaloy-4 materials…
One of the main degradation mechanisms of the zirconium alloys used in nuclear reactors is hydrogen embrittlement and hydride formation. The formation of zirconium hydrides is accompanied by a transformation strain, the effects of which on…
We explore the distribution, morphology and structure of zirconium hydrides formed using different cooling rates through the solid state Zr+[H] --> Zr + hydride transus, in fine and blocky alpha Zircaloy-4. We observe that cooling rate and…
Zirconium alloys are widely used in the nuclear industry because of their high strength, good corrosion resistance and low neutron absorption cross-section. However, zirconium has strong affinity for hydrogen which leads to hydrogen…
Zirconium alloys are widely used in nuclear reactors as fuel cladding materials. Fuel cladding is used to contain the nuclear fuel and cladding tubes are typically sealed using welds. Welding of zirconium alloys can result in changes in the…
A recently developed full field level-set model of continuous dynamic recrystallization is applied to simulate zircaloy-4 recrystallization during hot compression and subsequent heat treatment. The influence of strain rate, final strain and…
The fabrication of bulk delta-phase Zirconium Hydride ($\delta$-ZrH) using Zircaloy-4 as a precursor is herein reported. Characterization using electron-microscopy methods indicate that the fabricated material is of a single-phase. Sn-rich…
We used by in-situ high energy X-ray diffraction to inestigate the deformation behavior of Grade 2 commercially pure titanium that was hydrogen charged to form hydrides. The results showed that the peak broadening in the diffraction…
Analysis of distortions of the crystal lattice within individual mineral grains is central to the investigation of microscale processes that control and record tectonic events. These distortions are generally combinations of lattice…
For high (angular) resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD), the selection of a reference diffraction pattern (EBSP0) significantly affects the precision of the calculated strain and rotation maps. This effect was demonstrated…
Hafnium hydride is a promising material for next-generation nuclear reactors, particularly as control rods for fast fission and shielding in fusion systems. The material's intrinsic brittleness encourages its use in the form of…
Understanding deformation in polycrystalline metals is critical to use them in high-value high-risk applications. We present in-situ characterisation of plastic deformation of zirconium, a hexagonal closed packed (HCP), metal. Analysis of…