| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Phase Transformations and Microstructural Evolution
|
| Presentation Title |
Synchrotron X-ray diffraction monitoring of the microstructural evolution of a zirconium alloy during complex thermal cycles. |
| Author(s) |
Thibault Chommaux, Romain Borrossi, Raphaëlle Guillou |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Thibault Chommaux |
| Abstract Scope |
During a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA), a hypothetical accident scenario dimensioning for pressurised water reactors, the primary containment barrier for radioactive material, in the form of a zirconium alloy cladding, may be submitted to a thermo-mechanical loading that could cause creep ballooning and burst. Such complex thermal cycles may cause metallurgical evolutions, including the allotropic α-Zr (HCP) ↔ β-Zr (CC) phase transformations, that impact the mechanical behaviour of the cladding. It is therefore essential to understand the effects of thermal history on phase transformation kinetics, in particular the effect of heating and cooling rates. An experimental induction furnace has been designed, offering the possibility of running complex thermal cycles up to 100°C/s in a controlled neutral atmosphere to prevent sample oxidation. The use of this furnace at the SOLEIL synchrotron has enabled in situ XRD characterization of phase transformations, leading to the extension of the Zr phase transformation model. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Phase Transformations, High-Temperature Materials, Other |