The effect of hydrogen and oxygen contents on hydride reorientations of zirconium alloy cladding tubes

Abstract

Abstract To investigate the effect of hydrogen and oxygen contents on hydride reorientations during cool-down processes, zirconium–niobium cladding tube specimens were hydrogen-charged before some specimens were oxidized, resulting in 250 ppm and 500 ppm hydrogen-charged specimens containing no oxide and an oxide thickness of 3.8 μm at each surface. The nonoxidized and oxidized hydrogen-charged specimens were heated up to 400°C and then cooled down to room temperature at cooling rates of 0.3°C/min and 8.0°C/min under a tensile hoop stress of 150 MPa. The lower hydrogen contents and the slower cooling rate generated a larger fraction of radial hydrides, a longer radial hydride length, and a lower ultimate tensile strength and plastic elongation. In addition, the oxidized specimens generated a smaller fraction of radial hydrides and a lower ultimate tensile strength and plastic elongation than the nonoxidized specimens. This may be due to: a solubility difference between room temperature and 400°C; an oxygen-induced increase in hydrogen solubility and radial hydride nucleation energy; high temperature residence time during the cool-down; or undissolved circumferential hydrides at 400°C.