Stress Relieved Zircaloy-4 Recovery and Recrystallization During Fast Anisothermal Transients

Cold-work stress-relieved Zircaloy-4 kinetics of recovery-recrystallization has been studied under dynamic conditions. A specific furnace dilatometer was used to heat Zircaloy-4 specimens up to 430.degrees C. s(-1). Comparison of dynamic results with data of isothermal recovery and recrystallization showed that the process is delayed when the heating rate is increased. A model was proposed to describe the evolution of the material unrecrystallized fraction during rapid anisothermal transients. Comparisons showed a good agreement between the experimental results and the model predictions. [GRAPHICS] .