Characterization of irradiated Zircaloys: susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking. Final report

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6729670· OSTI ID:6729670

Yaggee, F. L.; Mattas, R. F.; Neimark, L. A.

Irradiated Zircaloy cladding specimens that reached burnups from 6 to 30 MWd/kg U were exposed to iodine to investigate their stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility. Constant-stress and stress-change tests were performed. Cladding from several sources (including BWRs and PWRs) was tested. Test temperatures ranged from 320 to 360/sup 0/C and applied hoop stresses ranged from 150 to 500 MPa )22 to 72 ksi). Two iodine concentrations, 6.0 and 0.6 mg/cm/sup 2/, were used. Failure times ranged from 360 s (0.1h) at high stresses to 5 x 10/sup 5/ s (142 h) at low stresses. The 24-h failure stress was 171 +- 18 MPa (24.8 +- 2.6 ksi) regardless of the preirradiation metallurgical condition for all specimens that reached a burnup > 10 MWd/kg U. This failure stress is lower than is typically measured on unirradiated Zircaloy. The effect on SCC behavior of an oxide that formed on the inner surface of one cladding type was evaluated. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed on some specimens. An analytical model for iodine-induced SCC of Zircaloy was developed that correlates reasonably well with the measurements.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6729670
• Report Number(s): EPRI-NP-1557
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360106 -- Metals & Alloys-- Radiation Effects
ALLOYS
BIG ROCK POINT REACTOR
BURNUP
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
CRACKS
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FAILURES
FUEL CANS
HALOGENS
IODINE
IRRADIATION
NEUTRON FLUENCE
NONMETALS
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTORS
ROBINSON-2 REACTOR
STRESS CORROSION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMAL REACTORS
TIN ALLOYS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS