AUTHOR=Wang Haoyu , Zhao Tianfei , Cao Shuanghui , Ren Quan-yao , Liu Menglong , Zhang Jibin , Zheng Yong , Li Yuanming , Wei Lianfeng 

TITLE=Shear Performance of Zirconium Alloy Welds Under Different Strain Rates

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Energy Research

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/energy-research/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.907374

DOI=10.3389/fenrg.2022.907374

ISSN=2296-598X

ABSTRACT=Welding is one of the important connection methods for zirconium alloy, and shear failure under the dynamic load is a typical failure mode of weld. Aiming at clarifying the shear failure of zirconium alloy welds, three kinds of double-notched  shear weld specimens with the welding size of 2 mm, 4 mm and 6 mm were designed respectively; the shear performance of specimens under quasi-static and dynamic loading was tested by tensile testing machine and split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The stress-strain curves and shear strength were acquired for the weld under quasi-static and dynamic loading. It was demonstrated that: (1) the obvious strain rate strengthening effect was observed for the shear strength performance of zirconium alloy weld; (2) the shear performance of zirconium alloy weld was not sensitive to its length, but the tolerance to microdefects in the weld was improved with the increasing of weld length ,which gave rise to the small increment of shear strength; (3) the failure mode of zirconium alloy weld under quasi-static loading was the typical lamellar tearing failure, and the angle between fracture and base metal was about 17°; while the shear failure mode showed obvious brittle characteristics under dynamic loading and the angle between fracture and base metal was almost parallel to the loading direction.