Hydride Precipitation in Zirconium Studied by Pendulum Techniques

摘要

Measurements of the precipitation peak, the autotwisting strain and the properties of hydride dislocations have been used to map the hydrogen terminal solid solubility boundary in polycrystalline samples and a single-crystal sample of alpha -zirconium. A low-frequency torsion pendulum was employed for some of the measurements and a low-frequency flexure pendulum for others. These pendulum techniques were successful in extending measurements of the hydrogen terminal solid solubility boundary in alpha -zirconium to the relatively low hydrogen concentration range 2 to 50 mu g/g of technological interest in the nuclear industry. In addition, the results were used to obtain qualitative and quantitative information about the stress dependence of the hydrogen terminal solid solubility boundary and the kinetics of hydride precipitation or dissolution in response to a step change in the applied stress. (Atomindex citation 16:020460)