3 papers
cond-mat.mtrl-sci2024
Improved understanding of the growth of blocky alpha in welded Zircaloy-4
Ruth M. Birch, T. Ben Britton
Zirconium alloys are widely used in nuclear reactors as fuel cladding materials. Fuel cladding is used to contain the nuclear fuel and cladding tubes are typically sealed using wel…
cond-mat.mtrl-sci2023
Characterization of local deformation around hydrides in Zircaloy-4 using conventional and high angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction
Ruth M. Birch, James O. Douglas, T. Ben Britton
Zircaloy-4 is used as a fuel cladding material for water reactors, as it has good mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and a low thermal neutron absorption cross section. H…
cond-mat.mtrl-sci2022
Optimizing broad ion beam polishing of zircaloy-4 for electron backscatter diffraction analysis
Ning Fang, Ruth Birch, T. Ben Britton
Microstructural analysis with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) involves sectioning and polishing to create a flat and preparation-artifact free surface. The quality of EBSD…