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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Program for investigation of Zircaloy-2 hydriding

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10163590· OSTI ID:10163590
During the week of March 1, 1965, KW Reactor shut down with indications of a tube leak. Leak testing during the shutdown indicated a front Van Stone flange leak on tube 3065 and a suspect internal leak on tube 3075. During the tube removal process, there was indication of Zircaloy embrittlement on both tubes. Subsequent metallographic examination of samples taken from these tubes indicated the presence of case hydriding on the internal tube surface extending from approximately the end of the active fuel corn to the rear Van Stone flange. Vacuum analysis of selected samples revealed the total hydrogen concentration, including the hydrogen present in the hydrided layer, ranged from approximately 50 ppm at the end of the active charge location to approximately 1300 ppm at the rear Van Stone flange, Since examination of these first two Zircaloy tubes removed from KW Reactor, two additional tubes have been removed from KW Reactor, two tubes have been removed from KE Reactor, and one C-size Zircaloy tube has been removed from C Reactor. The presence of hydriding has been observed on the seven Zircaloy-2 tubes removed to date. It is the purpose of this document to review in some detail the data obtained from laboratory examination of these tubes and to review the scope of the program that has been initiated to determine the mechanism causing hydriding in the Hanford reactors.
Research Organization:
General Electric Co., Richland, WA (United States). Hanford Atomic Products Operation
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
10163590
Report Number(s):
RL-REA--2038; ON: DE94014845
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English