Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLC

Hideyuki Mukai

Robert B Elkins

Daniel Reese Lutz

David W White

Yang-Pi Lin

Gerald A Potts

John Frederick Schardt

Hiroaki Kagami

Disclosed herein are zirconium-based alloys that may be fabricated to form nuclear reactor components, particularly fuel cladding tubes, that exhibit sufficient corrosion resistance and hydrogen absorption characteristics, without requiring a late stage &#x3b1;+&#x3b2; or &#x3b2;-quenching processes. The zirconium-base alloys will include between about 1.30-1.60 wt % tin; 0.0975-0.15 wt % chromium; 0.16-0.24 wt % iron; and up to about 0.08 wt % nickel, with the total content of the iron, chromium and nickel comprising at least about 0.3175 wt % of the alloy. The resulting components will exhibit a surface region having a mean precipitate sizing of between about 50 and 100 nm and a Sigma A of less than about 2&#xd7;10hour with the workpiece processing generally being limited to temperatures below 680&#xb0; C. for extrusion and below 625&#xb0; C. for all other operations, thereby simplifying the fabrication of the nuclear reactor components while providing corrosion resistance comparable with conventional alloys.

Non-heat treated zirconium alloy fuel cladding and a method of manufacturing the same

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Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Hideyuki Mukai