Effect of Temperature and Strain Rate on Deformation Behavior of Zirconium Alloy: Zr-2.5Nb

The characterization of hot deformation of Zr-2.5Nb in the strain rate range of 0.01 – 10s-1 and in the temperature range of 700- 925oC has been studied using hot compression testing on Gleeble-3800. For this study, processing maps approach has been adopted and their interpretation done using the Dynamic Material Model (DMM). The power dissipation maps of Zr-2.5Nb with in (α+β) phase field exhibits a domain of dynamic recrystallization, with a peak efficiency of 54-60% at about 750oC and strain rate is 0.01s-1. A second domain that occurs in β-phase field, having peak efficiency 49-54% at about 925oC and 0.01s-1 strain rate, which may be optimum condition for the hot working, while a domain at about 725oC and strain rate 0.1s-1 shows the instability region where flow will not be stable. Effect of strain on peak efficiency of power dissipation and instability is also studied.