The Aqueous Corrosion of Zircaloy Clad Thorium
- Nuclear Metals, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Attempts were made to improve the ability of Zircaloy-clad thorium to survive exposure of the core to water entering through small defects in the cladding. The failure of defected specimens was attributed to inadequate core-cladding bonds, which were not improved by an interdiffusion heat treatment. The thorium core may also be so weak as to be the point of failure in bond tests and to crack under the stress induced by the volume expansion on corrosion. Carbon additions hardened the thorium and lowered the corrosion rates. Aging treatments did not increase the hardness, but did increase the corrosion rates. The importance of the core-cladding bond is brought out by the successful protection of Zircaloy-clad uranium alloys against cladding defects. In this case, the interdiffusion heat treatment strengthens the bond sufficiently to permit compaction of oxide.
- Research Organization:
- Nuclear Metals, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- NSA Number:
- NSA-12-002321
- OSTI ID:
- 4345762
- Report Number(s):
- NMI--1191
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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