Formation of very large ‘blocky alpha’ grains in Zircaloy-4

Understanding microstructure and its evolution is very important in safety critical components such as cladding in nuclear reactors. Zirconium alloys are used as cladding materials due to their low neutron capture cross section, good mechanical properties and reasonable corrosion resistance. These properties are optimised, including grain size and texture control, to maximise performance in thin (<1 mm wall thickness) tubes in water reactors....