Detailed fractographic and microstructural examinations were made on neutron irradiated and unirradiated zirconium specimens deformed to fracture at temperatures between liquid nitrogen (77 K) and room temperature (295 K), to study the effect of neutron irradiation on the fracture behavior of zirconium. The fracture surface and the microstructure of the necked portion of the specimen were observed by scanning and transmission electron micrography.
The data from tests in uniaxial tension to fracture, in combination with fractographic and microstructural observations, indicated that the operative mode of non-uniform deformation to fracture was principally slip, in the range from room temperature down to 200 K, while at temperatures below this range, twin as well as slip came to take part. The fractographic morphology was of ductile dimple mode at temperatures above 200 K and at 77 K in the case of irradiated specimens, but when unirradiated, a shear fracture of ductile cleavage pattern was observed throughout the range of test temperature covered in the study.
It is suggested that the mechanism producing the dimple mode that characterized the fractography of irradiated zirconium is associated with dislocation channeling structure, whereas the pseudo-cleavage pattern seen when unirradiated is related to the microscopic deformation band structure. No evidence could be obtained indicating that deformation twins directly brought about fracture.
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