Zirconium alloy oxidation and hydriding under irradiation: Review of Pacific Northwest Laboratories' test program results: Final report

Technical Report · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6770721

Johnson, Jr, A B

Radiation effects on zirconium alloy oxidation and hydriding were investigated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and Engineering Test Reactor (ETR). The investigations represent one of the largest data bases on oxidation and hydriding of zirconium alloys. Much of the data base has been published, but some results were unpublished when the federal programs terminated. Due to the renewed interest in zirconium alloy cladding behavior, the Electric Power Research Institute sponsored documentation of the unpublished results and a summary of principal results from the prior publications. The data base involves nine zirconium alloys; multiple metallurgical conditions; neutron flux levels from approx.10/sup 12/ to 1.8 x 10/sup 14/ n/cm/sup 2/ .sec, > 1 MeV; fluence levels to 1.5 x 10/sup 22/ n/cm/sup 2/, > 1 MeV; oxygenated and low-oxygen coolants; in flux, out-of-flux, and out-of-reactor comparisons on identical specimens; transfer of specimens exposed in one loop water chemistry to another loop chemistry; dissimilar metal combinations; investigation of surface pretreatment effects. The loop results parallel in several respects oxidation and hydriding characteristics of water reactor fuel cladding and pressure tubes. The report summarizes results on the following areas; oxidation and hydriding trends under irradiation; localized phenomena; unusual oxidation effects; dissimilar metal effects; effects of fluoride contamination; metal density changes; deposition phenomena.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA); Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6770721
• Report Number(s): EPRI-NP-5132; ON: DE87008528
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
42 ENGINEERING
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ATR REACTOR
MATERIALS TESTING
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTOR OPERATION
ETR REACTOR
CORROSION
DATA COMPILATION
DEPOSITION
FLUORIDES
FUEL CANS
HYDRIDATION
IRRADIATION
OXIDATION
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PLATINUM
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
WATER CHEMISTRY
ZIRCALOY 4
ZIRCONIUM
ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CONTAMINATION
DATA
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION REACTORS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS
METALS
OPERATION
PLATINUM METALS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL REACTORS
TIN ALLOYS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS
220600* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
420500 - Engineering- Materials Testing
360105 - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion