Abstract
In this study, the corrosion and mechanical behavior of zirconium hydride on zirconium alloys in 1% LiOH solution were studied. The electrochemical method was used to create the hydride phase. In this method, the hydrogen atoms were surface-adsorbed, followed by penetration into the bulk, causing the formation of the Zirconium-hydride phase. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies were done to investigate the hydride microstructure. Results of XRD and SEM observations confirmed the formation of the hydride phase. According to the crystallographic parameters, the volume of the hydride primitive unit-cell (i.e. for one Zirconium atom) is approximately 12% larger than that of the metallic phase, creating micro-cracks once formed. Therefore, this phase was observed as cracks in the microstructure. Besides, the formation of cracks significantly reduces mechanical properties and increases the corrosion rate due to the ionic and electronic changes in the oxide layer (about 80 times). Results of the atomic simulation showed the initial preferential growth of the cracks was due to the anisotropy of the eigenstrain of the hydride phase which was attributed to the volumetric difference between the hydride phase and the zirconium matrix. Atomistic simulations also show that the formation and growth of the crack occurred in the α-Zr basal planes in the direction with the least elastic energy.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.