A Study of the Effect of Extrusion Parameters on the Properties of Extruded Zr-2.5Nb Pressure Tubes

Abstract

The hot extrusion of Zr-2.5Nb alloy has been simulated using an FEM based software and validated by the experimental measurements during real extrusion process. The flow stress data for Zr-2.5Nb alloy at different temperatures, strain and strain rates were generated by hot compression testing on Gleeble Machine. The flow stress data, obtained both below β transus temperature in two phase α+β region as well as above β transus temperature in β phase region, were directly used in the FEM simulation of extrusion process, eliminating the need for any assumptions regarding material plastic flow law. Two important extrusion parameters, viz. included die angle and reduction ratio, were varied and for each set of conditions, temperature, strain and strain rate at different nodal points of the tube at different stages of extrusion were calculated. The extrusion parameters were optimized to obtain minimum variation in the force, temperature, strain and strain rate in the extruded product. A fair agreement has been found between the measured values of the applied ram force and the temperature profile at the die landing area in a 3780 ton horizontal extrusion press and those obtained through simulations. The effect of the friction and heat transfer coefficient between the die chamber and work piece was also investigated in this study.