The creep and growth of zirconium alloys as determined from the bending of ion irradiated cantilever beams

Abstract

A simulation technique which permits the rapid determination of the response of zirconium alloys to long-term reactor irradiation is a valuable adjunct to neutron irradiation creep and growth experiments. Such a technique has evolved from the ion irradiation of thin cantilever beams of zirconium alloys. In the present work, the dynamic response of an ion irradiated cantilever beam and the eventual saturation of its deflection is described in terms of current concepts of creep and growth. Results are presented from a series of experiments designed to test the sensitivity of the cantilever beam deflection to grain orientation, cold work and temperature. Cantilever beams were prepared from zirconium single crystals and from cold-worked and stress-relieved Zircaloy-2 and Zr-2.5 wt% Nb. All tests were continued to an ion fluence calculated to produce 50 displacements per atom. Comparisons are made with existing knowledge of the creep and growth of the same materials during neutron irradiation.