ACOUSTIC EMISSION IN THE DEFORMATION OF ZIRCONIUM.

The research to date on acoustic emission (AE) has also had implications for certain structural materials to be used in reactors. Results are given of measurements of the AE parameters of zirconium, various alloys of which are used extensively in reactor design. The notable attributes of the AE curves are their smooth behavior, two intensity peaks with a fairly flat trough between them, and a monotonic rise of the intensity just before the breaking point in the sample stress-strain diagram. The smooth behavior of the AE intensity in strain is completely consistent with data on the high plasticity of zirconium and serves as evidence of a relatively uniform stain in separate regions of the material.