White Paper Summary of 2nd ASTM International Workshop on Hydrides in Zirconium Alloy Cladding
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
This white paper recommends that ASTM International develop standards to address the potential impact of hydrides on the long term performance of irradiated zirconium alloys. The need for such standards was apparent during the 2nd ASTM International Workshop on Hydrides in Zirconium Alloy Cladding and Assembly Components, sponsored by ASTM International Committee C26.13 and held on June 10-12, 2014, in Jackson, Wyoming. The potentially adverse impacts of hydrogen and hydrides on the long term performance of irradiated zirconium-alloy cladding on used fuel were shown to depend on multiple factors such as alloy chemistry and processing, irradiation and post irradiation history, residual and applied stresses and stress states, and the service environment. These factors determine the hydrogen content and hydride morphology in the alloy, which, in turn, influence the response of the alloy to the thermo-mechanical conditions imposed (and anticipated) during storage, transport and disposal of used nuclear fuel. Workshop presentations and discussions showed that although hydrogen/hydride induced degradation of zirconium alloys may be of concern, the potential for occurrence and the extent of anticipated degradation vary throughout the nuclear industry because of the variations in hydrogen content, hydride morphology, alloy chemistry and irradiation conditions. The tools and techniques used to characterize hydrides and hydride morphologies and their impacts on material performance also vary. Such variations make site-to-site comparisons of test results and observations difficult. There is no consensus that a single material or system characteristic (e.g., reactor type, burnup, hydrogen content, end-of life stress, alloy type, drying temperature, etc.) is an effective predictor of material response during long term storage or of performance after long term storage. Multi-variable correlations made for one alloy may not represent the behavior of another alloy exposed to identical conditions and the material responses to thermo-mechanical exposures will be different depending on the materials and systems used. The discussions at the workshop showed several gaps in the standardization of processes and techniques necessary to assess the long term performance of irradiated zirconium alloy cladding during dry storage and transport. The development of, and adherence to, standards to help bridge these gaps will strengthen the technical basis for long term storage and post-storage operations, provide consistency across the nuclear industry, maximize the value of most observations, and enhance the understanding of behavioral differences among alloys. The need for, and potential benefits of, developing the recommended standards are illustrated in the various sections of this report.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-08SR22470
- OSTI ID:
- 1183728
- Report Number(s):
- FCRD-UFD-2015-000533; SRNL-STI-2015-00256; TRN: US1500318
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. ASTM International Workshop on Hydrides in Zirconium Alloy Cladding, Jackson, WY (United States), 10-12 Jun 2014
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
A New Method for Low Cost Production of Titanium Alloys for Reducing Energy Consumption of Mechanical Systems
Enhanced Accident Tolerant LWR Fuels National Metrics Workshop Report
Related Subjects
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
DRY STORAGE
HYDRIDES
FUEL CANS
HYDROGEN
SPENT FUELS
IRRADIATION
PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS
MORPHOLOGY
STRESSES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
TRANSPORT
VARIATIONS
BURNUP
CORRELATIONS
PROCESSING
STANDARDIZATION
RECOMMENDATIONS