U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
Effect of irradiation on the microstructure of Zircaloy-4
Abstract
This paper deals with the irradiation growth and the radiation-induced changes in the microstructure of Zircaloy-type materials. The experimental irradiations that were conducted at 400 C in Siloe (metallurgical test reactor) and Phoenix (fast breeder reactor) show that the growth of both alpha-recrystallized and beta-quenched Zy-4FORT (high tin and oxygen contents) is accelerated after a dose of about 4 dpa (displacements per atom). In correlation with this acceleration, a high density of basal-plane c-component dislocations is revealed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) examinations. At this temperature, the structure of precipitates remains fully crystalline, but radiation-induced dissolution occurs and allows the formation of Zr{sub 5}Sn{sub 3} particles evenly dispersed throughout the matrix. To allow comparisons with the microstructural evolutions produced in pressurized water reactor (PWR) conditions, TEM examinations were also performed on standard Zircaloy-4 irradiated as recrystallized guide tube and stress-relieved cladding. In recrystallized Zircaloy-4 irradiated to 10 {times} 10{sup 21} n/cm{sup 2} (T {approx} 320 C), a high density of basal-plane c-component dislocations is also observed, the Zr(Fe,Cr){sub 2} Laves phases undergo a partial crystalline-to-amorphous transformation, and their outer rim is severely depleted in iron. In stress-relieved zircaloy-4 irradiated to the same neutron fluence, irradiation does not produce any significantmore »
- Authors:
-
- CEA Centre d`Etudes de Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 55670
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930611-
ISBN 0-8031-2011-7; TRN: 95:012915
- Resource Type:
- Book
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 10. international symposium on zirconium in the nuclear industry, Baltimore, MD (United States), 21-24 Jun 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Zirconium in the nuclear industry: Tenth international symposium. ASTM STP 1245; Garde, A.M.; Bradley, E.R. [eds.]; PB: 818 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 21 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; ZIRCALOY 4; PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; PWR TYPE REACTORS; REACTOR MATERIALS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; CRYSTAL-PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
Citation Formats
Gilbon, D, and Simonot, C. Effect of irradiation on the microstructure of Zircaloy-4. United States: N. p., 1994.
Web.
Gilbon, D, & Simonot, C. Effect of irradiation on the microstructure of Zircaloy-4. United States.
Gilbon, D, and Simonot, C. 1994.
"Effect of irradiation on the microstructure of Zircaloy-4". United States.
@article{osti_55670,
title = {Effect of irradiation on the microstructure of Zircaloy-4},
author = {Gilbon, D and Simonot, C},
abstractNote = {This paper deals with the irradiation growth and the radiation-induced changes in the microstructure of Zircaloy-type materials. The experimental irradiations that were conducted at 400 C in Siloe (metallurgical test reactor) and Phoenix (fast breeder reactor) show that the growth of both alpha-recrystallized and beta-quenched Zy-4FORT (high tin and oxygen contents) is accelerated after a dose of about 4 dpa (displacements per atom). In correlation with this acceleration, a high density of basal-plane c-component dislocations is revealed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) examinations. At this temperature, the structure of precipitates remains fully crystalline, but radiation-induced dissolution occurs and allows the formation of Zr{sub 5}Sn{sub 3} particles evenly dispersed throughout the matrix. To allow comparisons with the microstructural evolutions produced in pressurized water reactor (PWR) conditions, TEM examinations were also performed on standard Zircaloy-4 irradiated as recrystallized guide tube and stress-relieved cladding. In recrystallized Zircaloy-4 irradiated to 10 {times} 10{sup 21} n/cm{sup 2} (T {approx} 320 C), a high density of basal-plane c-component dislocations is also observed, the Zr(Fe,Cr){sub 2} Laves phases undergo a partial crystalline-to-amorphous transformation, and their outer rim is severely depleted in iron. In stress-relieved zircaloy-4 irradiated to the same neutron fluence, irradiation does not produce any significant recovery of the initial dislocation network. Although the Laves phases undergo an amorphous transformation only in the lower part (T {approx} 335 C), a marked dissolution is observed all along the cladding (335 to 380 C).},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/55670},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994},
month = {Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994}
}