Biaxial creep of textured zircaloy II: Crystal mean plastic modelling

Abstract

Crystal mean plastic bounding models are applied to highly textured cold-worked Zircaloy tubing and to highly textured recrystallized Zircaloy-4 tubing. Predictions of creep behavior are compared with data obtained at 673 K under biaxial loading. Textural differences due to recrystallization are predicted to have a negligible effect on creep behavior whereas differences in the predominant slip mode (prismatic, basal and pyramidal slip) are shown to have significant impact in these materials. Prismatic slip is predicted to be dominant in the recrystallized tubes whereas basal and pyramidal slip are shown to be more important for the cold-worked tubes.