Experimental investigation of solid and liquid zirconium
Victor N Korobenko, Alexander I Savvatimski, Konstantin K Sevostyanov
An electrical pulse current of 3 – 5 kA during 3 – 5 ms was used to heat zirconium tapes of foils. The tapes (width 1 – 2 mm and length 30 mm) were placed in a chamber under 1 bar ambient air atmosphere. Specific enthalpy, resistivity, temperature, and specific heat capacity in solid and liquid states (up to 2350 K) were measured. Temperature was measured (from 1800 up to 2350 K) by a fast optical pyrometer through a quartz light guide. For registration of current through the specimen, the voltage across it, and the pyrometer signal, a digital 4-channel oscilloscope was used. The following thermophysical properties are presented in the temperature range 1800 – 2350 K: specific enthalpy, at the start of melting; specific enthalpy, at the end of melting; heat of melting; specific heat capacity of the solid state (from 1800 K up to melting); specific heat capacity of the liquid state (from 2150 K up to 2350 K). The dependence of resistivity (referred to initial dimensions) against specific enthalpy was obtained for the solid and liquid states (from room temperature up to 2350 K). The dependence of resistivity (referred to initial dimensions) against temperature was obtained for the solid and liquid states (from temperature 1800 K up to 2350 K). Additional information was obtained for the phase transition in the solid state for zirconium. Specific enthalpy for the start and the end of the transition, the heat of transition, and resistivity (referred to initial dimensions) in both states were measured.