Hot hardness and indentation creep studies on Zr-1Nb-1Sn-0.1Fe alloy

Abstract

The hot hardness behaviour the Zr-1Nb-1Sn-0.1Fe alloy was evaluated from room temperature to 1173 K at 100 K intervals. The hardness versus temperature data for this alloy can be represented by the relationship H =Κexp( -BT). The indentation creep measurements of the above mentioned alloy were carried out using a load of 300 g at 573, 673, 773, 873 and 973 K. The stress exponent obtained from hardness-time plots was found to be temperature dependent and decreases from a value of nearly 42 at 573 K to ~5 at 973 K. The activation energy for creep was also found to be temperature dependant for this alloy. At least four different domains of creep were observed in the temperature range of 573-973 K. The mechanism in the temperature regime of 573-673 K was found to be athermal.