Preliminary irradiation effect on corrosion resistance of zirconium alloys - 2016-0067
- SC VNIINM, Rogova St. 5a, Moscow, 123060, V. M. (Russian Federation)
- SC SSC RIAR, Zapadnoe Shosse 9, Dimitrovgrad, 433510, Ulianovskaya obl. (Russian Federation)
In order to improve the composition and structure of zirconium alloys, it is important to know how changes in their structure-phase state under irradiation affect various properties, including corrosion. In this work, autoclave corrosion tests were carried out on fuel cladding samples made of zirconium-niobium and zirconium-niobium-tin-iron alloy systems. All samples were preliminarily irradiated in a BOR-60 nuclear reactor at a fluence of 2 X10{sup 26} m{sup -2} (E>0.1 MeV). The autoclave tests of irradiated and unirradiated samples were performed at 350 deg. C for 240 days in distilled water containing 10 ppm lithium and 1,600 ppm boron. The irradiation of all alloys resulted in a significant change in their initial structure-phase state. The content of niobium in b-niobium-phase precipitates was reduced from 80 % to - 90 % to 50 % to - 60 %. Iron atoms from the Laves-phase particles were diffused into a matrix, and their lattice transformed from hexagonal close-packed to body-centered cubic. An average size of the transformed second-phase precipitates in the irradiated alloys increased relatively to an average size of the initial precipitates. Elongated radiation-induced precipitates (RIPs) with an average length up to 7 nm were formed in all alloys under irradiation. In comparison with the unirradiated state, irradiation reduced the corrosion of zirconium-niobium alloys, and this effect became more apparent with increased niobium content in the alloy. For zirconium-niobium-tin-iron alloys, irradiation led to more severe corrosion, mostly because of increasing tin content. Niobium content increased up to 2.37 %, and iron content decreased up to 0.18 % in the alloys, contributing to higher corrosion resistance. An interconnection between the niobium/(tin + iron) alloying parameter, quantity of nanometric precipitates formed therein under irradiation, and their corrosion performance has been suggested. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22788423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Micro-characterization of corrosion resistant zirconium-based alloys
Effect of alloying elements, cold work, and hydrogen on the irradiation-induced growth behavior of zirconium alloy variants - 2016-0040
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND CORROSION RESISTANCE OF ZIRCONIUM AND ITS ALLOYS IN WATER, STEAM AND GASES AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES
Book
·
Fri Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1994
·
OSTI ID:55665
Effect of alloying elements, cold work, and hydrogen on the irradiation-induced growth behavior of zirconium alloy variants - 2016-0040
Conference
·
Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016
·
OSTI ID:22788409
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND CORROSION RESISTANCE OF ZIRCONIUM AND ITS ALLOYS IN WATER, STEAM AND GASES AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES
Technical Report
·
Fri Oct 30 23:00:00 EST 1959
·
OSTI ID:4266520