Nb-Base FS-85 Alloy as a Candidate Structural Material for Space Reactor Applications: Effects of Thermal Aging

The proposed uses of fission reactors for manned or deep space missions have typically relied on the potential use of refractory metal alloys as structural materials. Throughout the history of these programs, a leading candidate has been Nb-1Zr, due to its good fabrication and welding characteristics. However, the less-than-optimal creep resistance of this alloy has encouraged interest in the more complex FS-85 (Nb-28Ta-10W-1Zr) alloy. Despite this interest, only a relatively small database exists for the properties of FS-85. Database gaps include the potential microstructural instabilities that can lead to mechanical property degradation. In this work, changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties of FS-85 were investigated following 1100 hours of thermal aging at 1098, 1248, and 1398 K. The changes in electrical resistivity, hardness, and tensile properties between the as-annealed and aged materials are compared. Evaluation of the microstructural changes was performed through optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The development of intragranular and grain-boundary precipitation of Zr-rich compounds as a function of aging temperature was followed. Brittle tensile behavior was measured in the material aged at 1248 K, while ductile behavior occurred in samples aged above and below this temperature. The effect of temperature on the under- and overaging of the grain-boundary particles is believed to have contributed to the mechanical property behavior of the aged materials.