Evolution of strain localization autowaves in a zirconium alloy and evaluation of plasticity margin in a rolling area

The stress-strain state of a zirconium alloy in a cold rolling area is studied by considering the evolution of strain localization autowaves and changes in the ultrasound velocity. It is found that in the region of transition from the upsetting zone to the reduction zone, there is a significant exhaustion of the plasticity reserve of the material, so that fracture is most likely in exactly this region. It is shown that the traditional methods of estimating the plasticity margin from mechanical characteristics cannot reveal this region; an integrated analysis of plastic deformation macrolocalization patterns and acoustic measurement results is required.