EXAMINATION OF ZrNbSn ALLOYS WITH A VIEW TO THEIR USE AS CLADDING IN WATER- COOLED NUCLEAR REACTORS. Quarterly Report No. 1 (2nd Year), April 1, 1961-June 30, 1961

Technical Report · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1961

OSTI ID:4079332

Jung-Koenig, W; Richter, H; Wincierz, P; Zwicker, U

As part of a more thorough test program on the behavior of the ZrNb/sub 3/Sn/sub 1/ alloy, a start was made with the examination of the composition of ZrNbSn alloys. Alloys with various niobium and tin contents were produced by melting and used to determine the equilibrium phases by metallographic and x-ray methods. Corrosion tests in hot water and steam are being used to explain the effects of slight deviations from the nominal composition of the niobium and tin, in which a test period of 2000 hours at 480 deg C was attained, showed the superiority of such alloys compared with Zircaloy-2. In tests designed to establish the appropriate heat treatment, it proved possible, by means of hardness measurements and corrosion tests, to define annealing temperatures and times suitable for softening and for obtaining satisfactory resistance. Subsequent co1d working does not after test times of up to 1387 hours, impair the good corrosion behavior of the ens show a distinctly smaller weight increase than Zircaloy2 specimens cold-worked in the same way. For the purpose of examining the irfluence of the processing technique on corrosion and fatigue behavior, cast- iron slugs of ZrNb/sub 3/Sn/sub 1/ alloy were smelted. A start was made with the examination of the effect of a hydrogen content on fatigue behavior. Hydrogen absorption tests carried out on Zircaloy-2, ZrNb/sub 2/, and ZrNb/sub 3/Sn/sub 1/ samples showed that hydrogen absorption is possible at final annealing temperatures. The hydrogen absorption takes place more slowly in ZrNb/sub 3/Sn/ sub 1/ alloy than in Zircaloy-2. (auth)

• Research Organization: Metallgesellschaft A.G., Frankfurt am Main
• NSA Number: NSA-18-014358
• OSTI ID: 4079332
• Report Number(s): EURAEC-135
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ADSORPTION
ANNEALING
CASTING
COLD WORKING
CORROSION
FATIGUE
HARDNESS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HYDROGEN
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
IRON
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
MELTING
METALLOGRAPHY
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
REACTION KINETICS
STABILITY
STANDARDS
STEAM
TEMPERATURE
TIN ALLOYS
WATER
WEIGHT
X RADIATION
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS