Thermodynamic Studies of the α → β Phase Transformation in Zirconium Using a Subsecond Pulse Heating Technique.

Measurements of the temperature and energy of the α → β phase transformation, and the electrical resistivity near and at the transformation point of zirconium using a subsecond duration pulse heating technique are described. The results yield 1147 K for the transformation temperature and 3980 J · mol-1 for the transformation energy. Electrical resistivity is found to decrease by 17 percent during the transformation. Estimated inaccuracies of the measured properties are: 10 K for the transformation temperature, 5 percent for the transformation energy, and 2 percent for the electrical resistivity.