Effect of Combined Stress on Yield and Fracture Behavior of Zircaloy-2

The yielding and fracture characteristics of Zircaloy-2 as a function of stress state were investigated at room temperature through the medium of thin-walled cylindrical specimens under internal pressure and axial tension. Stress states from uniaxial longitudinal tension to uniaxial tangential tension were examined. Two tests at elevated temperature were performed at a single stress ratio. It was found that the fracture ductility lessened with increasing biaxiality. A minimum in ductility was found at balanced biaxial tension where the fracture ductility, as expressed by the effective strain, was 29 per cent. The yielding and plastic flow properties were found to be highly anisotropic. Two methods were used to express the plastic flow data: a graphical approach and a theoretical analysis based on a theory proposed by R. Hill, either one of which is suitable to express the flow properties of Zircaloy-2 under various states of combined stress.