Inventors:
Ronald B. Adamson - Fremont CA
Donald C. Bartosik - Wilmington NC
Eric B. Johansson - Wrightsville Beach NC
Cedric D. Williams - Wilmington NC
Assignee:
General Electric Company - San Jose CA
International Classification:
G21C 2100
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing components made of zirconium-based alloy by combining heat treatment with thermal sizing. The heat treatment includes heating the component to a temperature which initiates the transformation from a hexagonal close-packed crystallographic phase of uniform texture to a body-centered cubic crystallographic phase and then quenching to a quench temperature at a rate which initiates transformation to a hexagonal close-packed crystallographic phase having a texture factor f. sub. L =0. 28-0. 38. The thermal sizing includes heating the component to a temperature less than the quench temperature, but sufficient to anneal the component, and then cooling. Preferably, the thermal sizing is performed twice: before and after the heat treatment.