Analysis of texture and grain shape effects on the yield anisotropy of Zr-2.5wt%Nb pressure tube alloy using crystal plasticity finite element method

After annealing the Zr-2.5wt%Nb pressure tube material at $700{}^{\circ }C$ for 24h, the largest grain aspect ratio reduced from 3.1 to 1.8, and the average minimum grain size increased from $0.2\mu m$ to $0.9\mu m$. In addition, Kearns' factors characterizing texture along specific directions became more anisotropic by the annealing. While the annealed microstructure resulted in the decreases of all compressive strengths along three directions—transverse, axial, and radial, the anisotropy in the yield strengths displays uneven changes. The ratio of the transverse and axial strengths remains nearly constant. On the other hand, the ratio of the radial and the axial becomes lower. In the study, the origin of the changes in the strength anisotropy was investigated by the crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM). To consider the alteration of grain morphology, the grain shape model is included in the material constitutive model using a well-known Hall–Petch type relation. Through iteratively comparing the calculated yield strengths to the compressive yield strengths, the best-estimated critical resolved shear stresses (CRSSs) of the deformation systems were obtained without and with the grain model. In the latter case, the dependencies of CRSSs on the grain size were found as well. Although the effect of the grain model on the yield strengths was apparent, its influence on determining the anisotropic ratio was insignificant. On the other hand, changing texture information led to a quite definite variation in the yield anisotropy. It implies that the decrement in the ratio of the radial and the axial yield strengths could be caused mainly by the texture modification after annealing. In summary, the anisotropy in the yield strengths of the Zr-2.5wt% pressure material is mainly controlled by the texture and partly affected by the grain morphology.