Effect of strain rate on fracture of U-5.5Nb alloy. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Dong; Chen, Xianglin; Ma, Rong; Tang, Qingfu; Su, Bin; Wang, Zhenhong; Zhang, Xinjian; Meng, Daqiao
• Is Part Of: Materials science and technology. Volume 34:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 12
• Page End: 19
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: U-Nb alloy -- strain rate -- fracture -- carbide -- void nucleation; Materials science -- Periodicals; Microstructure -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1080/02670836.2017.1319117
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0267-0836

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The microstructure and tensile properties of an aged U-5.5 wt-% Nb alloy have been experimentally investigated with the aim of obtaining the influence of strain rates on fracture behaviour. The result shows that strain to failure is sensitive to strain rate and decreases with an increase in the strain rate. Fracture surface analysis indicates that the alloy exhibits a typical ductile fracture. Two types of carbides (niobium carbide and uranium carbide), mainly distributed at the grain boundary, are confirmed, which participate in the process of fracture and are involved in different void nucleation mechanisms during the final ductility fracture. Namely, niobium carbide tends to generate voids by debonding with the matrix, while uranium carbide is more likely to experience cracking.