General Electric Company

Andrew W Urquhart

Richard A Proebstle

Cedric D Williams

Rodney E Hanneman

David A Vermilyea

James L Walker

Timothy J Black

Zirconium-base alloy channels, fuel cladding tubes and other nuclear reactor structural components having unique resistance to accelerated pustular corrosion in the boiling water reactor environment are produced by a sequence of heat treatments causing segregation of intermetallic particulate precipitate phase in two dimensional arrays of particles of diameter from 100 to 400 Angstroms located along grain boundaries and sub-grain boundaries throughout the alloy body.

Zirconium alloy heat treatment process

Zirconium-base alloy channels, fuel cladding tubes and other components are made resistant to accelerated pustular corrosion in a boiling water reactor environment by coating them with a small amount of a suitable electronically conducting material.

Corrosion resistant zirconium alloy structural components and process

Zirconium-base alloy channels and fuel cladding tubes having unique resistance to accelerated pustular corrosion in the boiling water reactor environment are produced by a heat treatment causing segregation of intermetallic particulate precipitate phase in two dimensional arrays preferably located along grain boundaries and subgrain boundaries throughout the alloy body.

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Scotia, NY, United States of America

Andrew W Urquhart