On the mechanical effects of a nanocrystallisation treatment for ZrO2 oxide films growing on a zirconium alloy

► Raman spectroscopy is performed to determine the stress evolution in a Zr/ZrO2 system. ► Analytical relations are used to determine material characteristics. ► A specific modelling of the mechanical fields within the oxide is done. ► Relaxation and growth parameters are identified from an inverse method. In the present work, mechanical features are investigated in the case of ZrO2 thermal oxide films growing on a Zr alloy at the temperature of 550°C. The effects of a nanocrystallisation treatment on high temperature oxidation of a zirconium alloy are specifically studied. High temperature oxidation is performed in order to show benefits of such a nanocrystallisation on corrosion resistance and its influence on the mechanical fields. Experimental results obtained by Raman spectroscopy give the growth stress evolution in ZrO2 films. Using a modelling of the system, both asymptotic forms and an optimization procedure are developed to determine the mechanical characteristic parameters of the system.