Variations in nanomechanical properties of back-end Zr–2.5Nb pressure tube material

The Zr–2.5Nb pressure tube alloy used in Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) nuclear reactors consists of a dual-phase microstructure produced by a multi-step manufacturing process. The metallurgical characteristics of the pressure tubes influence their in-reactor behavior, especially with respect to reactor life-limiting properties such as diametral creep. In order to predict the in-reactor behavior of pressure tubes, a greater understanding of the influence of tube-to-tube variations in metallurgical factors such as texture, grain size, and β-phase percentage would be greatly beneficial. In this paper, a testing method combining high temperature nanoindentation with subsequent electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) is presented to compare two back end pressure tube off-cuts. Nanoindentation was used to measure local mechanical properties such as hardness, modulus, and strain rate sensitivity. Post-examination of residual indents with ECCI allowed for the correlation of microstructural characteristics to nanomechanical properties. A difference in hardness was observed between the two tubes in the axial normal plane, which was correlated to differences in β-phase area percentage and/or morphology.