SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1996
STP16203S

Development of New Zirconium Alloys for a BWR

Source

Specimens for irradiation testing in a commercial BWR were prepared from 24 kinds of Zr alloys. The corrosion performance of these specimens was investigated after irradiation for up to four cycles. Two cycles of irradiation were not always sufficient to identify the lowest corrosion alloys. Marked acceleration of corrosion occurred for many alloys between one and four cycles. The onset of mildly accelerated oxidation was observed for standard Zircaloy-2 at four cycles of irradiation. On the other hand, for Zircaloy-like alloys, increasing Fe and Ni contents or decreasing the Sn content promoted a saturation oxidation between two and four cycles of irradiation. The effects of alloying elements on corrosion behavior were evaluated by both in-pile and out-of-pile corrosion tests. The alloying elements Fe, Cr, and Ni, which have smaller valences than Zr, improved the in-pile corrosion resistance of Zr alloys, while the alloying elements Nb, Mo, and Te, which have larger valences than Zr, were responsible for increased weight gain during the irradiation test in the BWR.

Author Information

Etoh, Y
Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co., Ltd., Ibaraki-ken, Japan
Shimada, S
Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co., Ltd., Ibaraki-ken, Japan
Yasuda, T
Hitachi Ltd., Ibaraki-ken, Japan
Ikeda, T
Toshiba Corp., Kanagawa-ken, Japan
Adamson, RB
GE Nuclear Energy, Pleasanton, CA
Chen, J-SF
GE Nuclear Energy, Pleasanton, CA
Ishii, Y
Tokyo Electric Power Co., Kanagawa-ken, Japan
Takei, K
Tokyo Electric Power Co., Kanagawa-ken, Japan
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Details
Developed by Committee: B10
Pages: 825–849
DOI: 10.1520/STP16203S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5343-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-2406-6