Other

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.

Korea Electric Power Corporation

Cheol Nam

Sang Yoon Park

Myung Ho Lee

Jong Hyuk Baek

Yong Hwan Jeong

Byoung Kwon Choi

Youn Ho Jung

Kyeong Ho Kim

Younho Jung

Jeong Yong Park

Myong Ho Lee

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing zirconium-based alloys containing niobium with superior corrosion resistance for use in nuclear fuel rod claddings. The method of this invention comprises melting of the alloy, &#x3b2;-forging, &#x3b2;-quenching, hot-working, vacuum annealing, cold-working, intermediate annealing and final annealing, whereby the niobium concentration in the &#x3b1;-Zr matrix decreases from the supersaturation state to the equilibrium state to improve the corrosion resistance of the alloy. Such zirconium-based alloys containing niobium are usefully applied to nuclear fuel rod cladding of the cores in light water reactors and heavy water reactors.

Method for manufacturing zirconium-based alloys containing niobium for use in nuclear fuel rod cladding

The present invention relates to a zirconium alloy having excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties and a method for preparing a nuclear fuel cladding tube by zirconium alloy. More particulary, the present invention is directed to a zirconium alloy comprising Zr-aNb-bSn-cFe-dCr-eCu (a&equals;0.05-0.4 wt %, b&equals;0.3-0.7 wt %, c&equals;0.1-0.4 wt %, d&equals;0-0.2 wt % and e&equals;0.01-0.2 wt %, provided that Nb&plus;Sn&equals;0.35-1.0 wt %), and to a method for preparing a zirconium alloy nuclear fuel cladding tube, comprising melting a metal mixture comprising of the zirconium and alloying elements to obtain ingot, forging the ingot at &bgr; phase range, &bgr;-quenching the forged ingot at 1015-1075&deg; C., hot-working the quenched ingot at 600-650&deg; C., cold-working the hot-worked ingot in three to five passes, with intermediate vacuum annealing and final vacuum annealing the worked ingot at 460-540&deg; C., which can be applied to the core components in a light water and a heavy water atomic reactor type nuclear power plant.

Zirconium alloy having excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties for nuclear fuel cladding tube

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a tube and a sheet of niobium-containing zirconium alloys for the high burn-up nuclear fuel. The method comprises melting Nb-added zirconium alloy to ingot; forging the ingot at &bgr; phase range; &bgr;-quenching the forged ingot after solution heat-treatment at 1015-1075&deg; C.; hot-working the quenched ingot at 600-650&deg; C.; cold-working the hot-worked ingot in three to five passes, with intermediate vacuum annealing; and final vacuum annealing the cold-worked ingot at 440-600&deg; C., wherein temperatures of intermediate vacuum annealing and final vacuum annealing after &bgr;-quenching are changed so as to attain the condition under which precipitates in the alloy matrix are limited to an average diameter of 80 nm or smaller and the accumulated annealing parameter (&Sgr; A) is limited to 1.0&times;10 hr or lower.

Method for manufacturing a tube and a sheet of niobium-containing zirconium alloy for a high burn-up nuclear fuel

Niobium-containing zirconium alloy for nuclear fuel claddings

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Taejon-si, South Korea

Cheol Nam