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Micromechanics Of Plasticity Of Zr-2.5%Nb Alloy, Md Imran Khan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Zirconium alloys are used in many thermal neutron fission reactors because of their very low neutron interaction cross-sections along with their excellent mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. Numerous experiments have been conducted on these alloys at the bulk scale to determine their mechanical properties. Recent advancements in micro-mechanical testing make it easier to study site-specific mechanical properties for micron or submicron-sized samples. Understanding the mechanical response of such small volumes of material is extremely important for developing accurate models to predict the ductile fracture toughness of these in-reactor materials. Pressure tubes made of Zr-2.5%Nb alloys are an integral part of …