Internal friction study of zirconium alloyed with hydrogen and deuterium

Abstract

Internal friction measurements have been performed on high-purity zirconium charged with various amounts of hydrogen and with deuterium. The internal friction spectrum of zirconium, alloyed either with hydrogen or with deuterium, shows the presence of three damping peaks in the temperature range between −200°C and 550°C and in a frequency range between 800 Hz and 11 000 Hz. The internal friction data also show the presence of a rather pronounced deformation peak after plastic deformation. The mechanisms proposed to explain each peak are: 1. (a) The peak appearing in the low-temperature region is assumed to be due to dislocations, 2. (b) The peak appearing in the intermediate temperature is connected with the transitional phase γ', proposed by Jack and later elaborated on by Gulbransen and Andrew, 3. (c) The peak in the high-temperature region is attributed to the dissolution and the formation of zirconium hydride precipitates within the zirconium matrix. The solid solubility limit of hydrogen in zirconium has been computed from the internal friction data and agrees well with the values in the literature.