Papers by Keyword: Zirconium Alloys

Abstract: The paper considers phase transformations in the E110 zirconium alloy with multilayer CrN/Cr coatings under linear heating up to 1250 °C with isothermal exposure for 20 min. The multilayer CrN/Cr coatings can decelerate Cr-Zr interdiffusion by formation of a barrier ZrN layer at the “coating-alloy interface” due to CrN decomposition at high temperature. The duration of barrier effect depends on a layer thickness of CrN/Cr multilayers. This effect results in a better corrosion resistance of the E110 alloy with multilayer CrN/Cr coatings under high-temperature oxidation at 1100 °C in air in comparison with Cr-coated E110 alloy.

Abstract: Currently, Zr-alloys are widely used in nuclear power reactors for fuel cladding and structural components. Many types of zr-based alloys were developed to overcome the challenges encountered in the progress of nuclear reactors (high-burnup and high-duty). Oxygen diffused into the cladding, hydrogen absorbed in the cladding (breakaway oxidation and ruptured balloons) and rapid oxidation rate are results of chemical interaction of cladding material with steam at high temperature. Zirconium alloys seem to be the most suitable for use in fuel cladding, if they can overcome the rapid oxidation at temperature higher than 1200 °C. Previous studies on the oxidation behavior for some Zr-alloys nuclear fuel cladding tubes in steam and steam–air atmospheres at high temperatures are reviewed. The oxidation behavior of zirconium-alloys is strongly affected by the chemical composition of alloys and its surface conditions.

Abstract: This paper presents the results of optimization of parameters for resistance spot welding of parts made of E110 zirconium alloy with a thickness of 0.25 + 0.25 mm. Its purpose was to determine the influence of welding current profiles on nugget metal structure and mechanical properties of welds. The highest tensile strength comparable with base metal (380...440 MPa) was observed when the ratio of integral heat input to current pulse duration was about two. Formation of martensitic structure and coarsening of nugget metal was observed with larger ratios. A proper fusion zone was not formed with lower ratios. Annealing of welded joints at a pressure of ~ 10^–4 Pa and a temperature of 580 °C for one hour was necessary to reduce residual stresses and transformation of metastable martensitic phase to a more stable state. This reduced microhardness of nugget metal by 30...35% and increased tensile strength of welds. It was also possible to increase tensile strength and reduce dispersion of its values by increasing duration of current down slope after formation of a nugget. An increase in duration from 1 to 14 ms caused rise in tensile strength by ~ 18% and dispersion of its values by ~ 3%.

Abstract: Effect of electrode degradation on stability of nugget formation during small-scale resistance spot welding is presented in this paper. Production of spacer grids for nuclear fuel assemblies made of E110 zirconium alloy cells of 0.25 mm thickness was studied. The following degradation processes took place in the electrodes as they wore. Roughness of the tip surface was gradually reduced to the values of the welded cells. The semispherical tips were severely deformed during the initial period of their operation (1.500...2.000 welds). The deformation dynamics slowed down significantly after that. Microhardness on the tip surface of the electrodes decreased. It was minimal in the central part of the surface layer with a thickness of 50...100 μm and increased towards the periphery. Significant coarsening of the electrode metal microstructure occurred at a depth of ~ 1 mm. Nugget area and its tensile strength decreased as the electrodes wore. An increase in welding current did not reduce deterioration of nugget quality. Measurement and processing of dynamic resistance between electrodes did not make it impossible to predict and control the properties of nuggets for the studied welding modes.

Abstract: Hydrogen storage in its solid state is one of the main challenges for mobile and stationary applications. Some metal hydrides are potential candidates for energy storage. This is an experimental research, which represents a contribution to the study of Hydrogen storage in its solid state, by studying the influence of the proportional substitution of V for Zr in the stoichiometric ratio Zr_2-XV_XFe (X=0.0, 0.1 y 0.2). Results indicate that the synthesis process generates a multi-phase type microstructure, and the absorption and desorption kinetic is less than 5 minutes at room temperature, in line with the parameters established by the United States Department of Energy; however, it is clear that the desorption capacity decreases.

Abstract: The fast and spontaneous hydrogen diffusion in HCP structures leads to the hydride precipitation. It is often pointed as causing embrittlement and rupture in zirconium alloys for applications in the nuclear industry. In our previous works TEM, DSC, SEM-EBSD and XRD were used to study the hydride stability after many precipitation-dissolution thermal cycles as well as the crystallographic hydride phase nature and the hydride-substrate crystallographic orientation relationships as a function of the hydrogen content. Results showed that the evolution of the dissolution and precipitation energies is correlated to the concentration of hydrogen atoms available to reprecipitate, which is submitted to a diffusion controlled by the misfit dislocation migration. In the present work in-situ TEM thermal cycling was performed in order to locally investigate the crystallographic stability of zirconium hydrides of different structures after many dissolution-reprecipitation cycles.

Abstract: The method of grain refinement is described which is used to obtain titanium and zirconium base alloys in an ultra-fine grain state. The method involves abc-press forging and subsequent multiple-pass die rolling. It is shown that annealing performed at temperatures below the recrystallization threshold would cause formation of a stable nanostructure. The characteristics of such nanostructure would remain unaffected even at high plastic deformation levels until the fracture of the object made from this material. Both alloys having nanostructure are suitable for medical applications.

Abstract: In the frame of its research work on nuclear fuel safety, the French “Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire” (IRSN) has highlighted the importance of cladding tube oxidation on its thermomechanical behavior. The occurrence of radial cracking and spallation has been observed as the main mechanisms for the zirconia layer degradation during transient experiments. A study of these two mechanisms has been jointly launched by IRSN and Areva-NP. Thus laboratory air oxidations of fully recrystallized or stress-relieved low-tin Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes have been performed. Representative oxide layer thicknesses varying from 10 to 100 0m have been obtained. SEM micrographs of the obtained oxidised samples show that short circumferential cracks are periodically distributed in the oxide thickness. For specimens with oxide film thickness greater than 30 0m, radial cracks are initiated from the outer surface of the oxide layer and propagated radially. Veins characterised by the lack of circumferentially orientated crack are evidenced. All these phenomena are mainly linked to high compressive stress levels in the zirconia layer. A model describing the stress evolution in the oxide and in the cladding has been developed. This model takes into account the influence of elasticity, cladding creep, oxide growth and thermal expansion. Deflection tests data [15] are used to calibrate the oxide growth modelling. The model enables the evaluation of strain or stress profile in the oxide layer and in the base metal. Numerical results are in good agreement with a large set of axial and circumferential strains measurements. Further a better understanding of cracking mechanisms is achieved considering the good agreement between experimental and numerical analysis.

Abstract: The results of X-ray diffraction analysis of macroscopic stresses σ and crystallite size D in oxide layers are presented in this contribution. The oxide layers were formed on tubular specimens of Zircaloy 4 and Zr1Nb alloys which were simultaneously oxidized for various times under temperature transient conditions (oxidation in water at 360 °C with a short-time shock in steam at 500 °C). A qualitative relation was outlined between the residual stresses in oxide layers and corrosion kinetics of the alloys under investigation.

Abstract: The elastic energy of a set of the twelve variants generated during the b ® a transformation of zirconium, with volume fractions fi, i=1..12, is derived with simplifying assumptions and the conditions on the fi to reach the energy minimum are established analytically. The minimum number of variants needed to reach this minimum is shown to be 6, and in this case, the variants have very specific volume fractions. Another result is that the maximum volume fraction of any variant is 1/3.