Microstructural and textural evolution during hot deformation of dilute Zr-Sn alloy

A dilute Zr alloy containing 0.3% Sn (a potential material for liner applications of composite fuel claddings of thermal nuclear power reactors) was subjected to controlled uniaxial compression over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures in a thermo-mechanical simulator. The evolved microstructures were characterized using SEM based EBSD technique and the texture evolution was analysed by bulk X-ray diffraction method. The study had brought out the systematic changes brought out in microstructure and texture as a function of temperature and strain rate. The results indicate that a temperature of 750 °C is the optimum temperature for hot deformation of this alloy in terms of achieving a homogenous and well recrystallized microstructure.