Effect of swaging feed rate and annealing phenomena on tensile, fracture toughness and microstructural evolution of Zr-4 alloy

Zirconium alloys are primarily used in nuclear applications as a cladding material due to its low neutron absorption, excellent mechanical strength, ductility, oxidation, and corrosion resistance properties. The effect of rotary-swaging feed rates (0.7 m/min, 1.25 m/min, and 2 m/min) and material-conditions (As-Received, Swaged, and Swaged+Annealed, 732 °C-3 h) on tensile, fracture toughness, and microstructural evolution of Zr-4 alloy were...