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Title: Development of Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding for enhanced accident tolerance

Abstract

In the context of the development of Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuels (EATF), AREVA NP, along with CEA and EDF, is developing, among others, a chromium (Cr) coating (5- 20 μm thick) on zirconium alloy cladding. The coating is deposited on the cladding surface by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and forms a dense and adherent protective layer. It preserves the good mechanical behavior of the current cladding in normal operating conditions while significantly improving the oxidation behavior in accidental conditions. This behavior is being evaluated through out-of-pile corrosion and mechanical tests at the AREVA NP Technical and Research Centers. The corrosion behavior was evaluated through autoclave tests in both PWR water chemistry at 360 and in 415 Celsius degrees steam to increase the corrosion kinetics. In both cases very small weight gain was measured on the order of 1 mg/dm{sup 2} and remains stable throughout the length of the tests. The mechanical behavior of Cr-coated samples was evaluated through tensile tests on Cr-coated and uncoated M5 tube samples at both room temperature and 400 Celsius degrees. The curves demonstrate that the Cr-coated samples exhibit similar mechanical behavior as uncoated samples, and for all the tests performed, the mechanical properties (yield strengthmore » 0.2%, ultimate tensile strength, and total elongation) of the Cr-coated samples all fell within the range of values for uncoated samples. In order to obtain in-pile data as early as possible on this solution, an irradiation program (called IMAGO) in the Goesgen reactor will be performed in the years to come. This will be the first irradiation of EATF solutions in a commercial reactor.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Department of Fuel Design - Materials, AREVA NP, Lyon, 69456 (France)
  2. Department of Fuel Manufacturing, Component Research Center, AREVA NP, Ugine, 73403 (France)
  3. Department of Chemistry and Corrosion, Le Creusot Technical Center, AREVA NP, Le Creusot, 71205 (France)
  4. Department of Fuel Manufacturing, Component Research Center, AREVA NP, Paimboeuf, 44560 (France)
  5. CEA - Centre de Saclay, DEN, DMN, SRMA, Universite Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
American Nuclear Society - ANS, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
22765195
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: TOP FUEL 2016: LWR fuels fuels with enhanced safety and performance, Boise, ID (United States), 11-15 Sep 2016; Other Information: Country of input: France; 6 refs.; Related Information: In: TOP FUEL 2016 Proceedings| 1670 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 42 ENGINEERING; ACCIDENT-TOLERANT NUCLEAR FUELS; CHROMIUM; CLADDING; CORROSION; ELONGATION; GOESGEN REACTOR; IRRADIATION; MECHANICAL TESTS; OXIDATION; PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION; TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K; TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K; TENSILE PROPERTIES; WATER CHEMISTRY; YIELD STRENGTH; ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS

Citation Formats

Bischoff, J., Vauglin, C., Delafoy, C., Barberis, P., Vassault, J. P., Perche, D., Guerin, B., and Brachet, J. C. Development of Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding for enhanced accident tolerance. United States: N. p., 2016. Web.
Bischoff, J., Vauglin, C., Delafoy, C., Barberis, P., Vassault, J. P., Perche, D., Guerin, B., & Brachet, J. C. Development of Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding for enhanced accident tolerance. United States.
Bischoff, J., Vauglin, C., Delafoy, C., Barberis, P., Vassault, J. P., Perche, D., Guerin, B., and Brachet, J. C. 2016. "Development of Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding for enhanced accident tolerance". United States.
@article{osti_22765195,
title = {Development of Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding for enhanced accident tolerance},
author = {Bischoff, J. and Vauglin, C. and Delafoy, C. and Barberis, P. and Vassault, J. P. and Perche, D. and Guerin, B. and Brachet, J. C.},
abstractNote = {In the context of the development of Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuels (EATF), AREVA NP, along with CEA and EDF, is developing, among others, a chromium (Cr) coating (5- 20 μm thick) on zirconium alloy cladding. The coating is deposited on the cladding surface by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and forms a dense and adherent protective layer. It preserves the good mechanical behavior of the current cladding in normal operating conditions while significantly improving the oxidation behavior in accidental conditions. This behavior is being evaluated through out-of-pile corrosion and mechanical tests at the AREVA NP Technical and Research Centers. The corrosion behavior was evaluated through autoclave tests in both PWR water chemistry at 360 and in 415 Celsius degrees steam to increase the corrosion kinetics. In both cases very small weight gain was measured on the order of 1 mg/dm{sup 2} and remains stable throughout the length of the tests. The mechanical behavior of Cr-coated samples was evaluated through tensile tests on Cr-coated and uncoated M5 tube samples at both room temperature and 400 Celsius degrees. The curves demonstrate that the Cr-coated samples exhibit similar mechanical behavior as uncoated samples, and for all the tests performed, the mechanical properties (yield strength 0.2%, ultimate tensile strength, and total elongation) of the Cr-coated samples all fell within the range of values for uncoated samples. In order to obtain in-pile data as early as possible on this solution, an irradiation program (called IMAGO) in the Goesgen reactor will be performed in the years to come. This will be the first irradiation of EATF solutions in a commercial reactor.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22765195}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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