Evaluation of residual stresses in electron-beam welded Zr2.5Nb0.9Hf Zircadyne flange mock-up of a reflector vessel beam tube flange

The dual-phase alloy Zr2.5Nb alloy is an important nuclear material, because of its use in current and possible use in future nuclear reactors. It is, however, well-known that Zr2.5Nb weldments can fail through a time-dependent mechanism called delayed hydride cracking which is typically driven by the presence of tensile residual stresses. With a view to understanding the development of residual stresses associated with Zr2.5Nb welds the current study focuses on the evaluation of the residual stresses in a mock-up of a reactor beam tube flange made from Zr2.5Nb0.9Hf. The present results suggests that, like ferritic welds which undergo a solid-state phase transformation upon welding, Zr2.5Nb0.9Hf welds also develop high tensile residual stresses in the heat-affected zone whereas the stresses closer to the weld tip are reduced by the effects of the β → α solid-state phase transformation.