The effect of grain size on the high temperature plastic deformation of nb3sn

Abstract

A study of high temperature plastic deformation has been undertaken on 10, 20, and 60 μm grain size Nb3Sn. The materials were produced by the hot isostatic pressing of powder blends. The 20 and 60 μm grain size material involved a stoichiometric blend of Nb and Sn powder, whereas the 10 μm grain size material involved a blend of 30.2 wt pct Sn powder and 69.8 wt pct Nb-1 Zr powder. The ZrO2 formed during processing limits grain size and NbO formation. Through compression testing and load relaxation testing, deformation has been studied over a strain rate range from 10-6 to 10-2 per second and a temperature range from 1150 to 1650 °C. “Power law creep” was generally observed, although stress exponent reduction at the higher temperatures and lower strain rates suggests substructural coarsening. Analysis of stress-strain rate-temperature data projected an activation energy for creep of 400 to 500 kJ/mol. Grain size refinement clearly strengthened the polycrystals. Assuming a Hall-Petch relationship, “lattice friction stresses” and “unpinning constants” were calculated, both increasing with decreased temperature and increased strain rate. Grain size refinement from 60 to 10 μm lowered the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature for simple compression by the order of 125 °C.