Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited

Mitsubishi Kinzoku Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Metal Corporation

Takeshi Isobe

Yoshitaka Suda

Yutaka Matsuo

Eiji Yoneda

Yoshiharu Mae

Masahiro Wada

Akio Sando

Kazuyosi Adachi

Toshimichi Takahashi

Komei Kato

Takuya Murai

Katsuo Sugahara

Takumi Shibuya

Yasuo Ichihara

Sakae Akiyama

Nobuo Suda

Eiko Kanda

Kazuichi Hamada

Kouichi Kita

A composite porous body, a gas diffusion layer member of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a cell member for the polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and manufacturing methods thereof are provided. The composite porous body is a metallic composite porous body in which a sheet-like metal portion composed of a composite porous body having a three-dimensional mesh structure and a resin portion extending in an in-plane direction of the metal portion are integrally formed with each other. The gas diffusion layer member of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is composed of a composite porous body in which a sheet-like metal portion composed of a composite porous body having a three-dimensional mesh structure and a resin portion extending in an in-plane direction of the metal portion are integrally formed with each other. Also, the gas diffusion layer member of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell has a separator plate, and the conductive porous body placed on at least one surface of the separator plate. A resin frame is integrally provided so as to cover the peripheries of separator plate and the conductive porous body.

Composite porous body, gas diffusion layer member, cell member, and manufacturing method thereof

The invention provides a method for making Zr alloy nuclear reactor fuel cladding having excellent corrosion resistance and creep properties. The method includes performing hot forging, solution heat treatment, hot extruding, and repeated cycles of annealing and cold rolling of a Zr alloy including, by weight, 0.2 to 1.7% Sn, 0.18 to 0.6% Fe, 0.07 to 0.4% Cr and 0.05 to 1.0% Nb, with the remainder being Zr and incidental impurities, and the incidental nitrogen impurity content being 60 ppm or less, and then performing final stress relief annealing thereon. The annealing is performed at a temperature of 550.degree. C. to 850.degree. C. for 1 to 4 hours such that the accumulated annealing parameter .SIGMA.Ai=.SIGMA.ti.multidot.exp(-40,000/Ti) satisfies relationships -20.ltoreq.log.SIGMA.Ai.ltoreq.-15, and -18-10.multidot.X.sub.Nb .ltoreq.log.SIGMA.Ai.ltoreq.-15-3.75.multidot.(X.sub.Nb -0.2), wherein Ai represents the annealing parameter for the i-th annealing, ti represents the annealing time (hours) for the i-th annealing, Ti represents the annealing temperature (K) for the i-th annealing, and X.sub.Nb represents the Nb concentration (wt %).

Method for making Zr alloy nuclear reactor fuel cladding having

A Ni based hydrogen occluding alloy having the composition, comprising: by weight:

Hydrogen occluding alloy

A fuel rod for a light water reactor comprises a cladding tube which comprises a zirconium alloy having a composition including 0.6 to 2.0% by weight of Nb, 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of Sn, 0.05 to 0.3% by weight of Fe, and the balance being Zr and incidental impurities; uranium oxide fuel pellets packed in the cladding tube; and end plugs comprising a zirconium alloy and closing both ends of the cladding tube. The cladding tube is sealed by TIG welding with the end plugs. Grain boundaries in each heat affected zone of the cladding tube, which are adjacent to a bead formed by TIG welding, have structural compositions including 4 to 30% by weight of Nb, and 0.9 to 20% by weight of Fe.

Fuel rod for light water reactor and method for manufacturing the same

A fuel rod for a light water reactor comprises a cladding tube which comprises a zirconium alloy having a composition including 0.6 to 2.0% by weight of Nb, 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of Sn, 0.05 to 0.3% by weight of Fe, and the balance being Zr and incidental impurities; uranium oxide fuel pellets packed in the cladding tube; and end plugs closing both ends of the cladding tube. The cladding tube is sealed by TIG welding with the end plugs. Precipitates having grain diameters of 0.01 to 0.5 .mu.m and comprise intermetallic compounds containing Zr, Nb and Fe are present at grain boundaries in the structure of heat affected zones of the cladding tube, the heat affected zone being adjacent to a bead formed by TIG welding.

A corrosion resistant zirconium alloy for use as a nuclear reactor cladding material. This alloy consists essentially of, on a weight % basis 0.02-1.7 % Sn, 0.19-0.6% Fe, 0.07-0.4% Cr, 0.01-0.2% Ta, and optionally 0.05 up to less than 0.5% Nb, the balance being Zr and incidental impurities, provided that the content of the nitrogen in the form of incidental impurities is no more than 60 ppm.

Highly corrosion-resistant zirconium alloy for use as nuclear reactor

A zirconium alloy for use in spacer grids for nuclear reactor fuel claddings, which consists essentially of, on a weight percent basis,

Zirconium alloy for use in spacer grids for nuclear reactor fuel

A zirconium alloy that has sufficient corrosion resistance, strength and stress relaxation property for use as a component of a pressurized water nuclear reactor fuel assembly is disclosed. This alloy consists essentially of 0.2 to 0.91% Sn, 0.18 to 0.6% Fe, 0.07 to 0.4% Cr, one or both of 0.05 to less than 0.5% and 0.01 to 0.2% Ta, one or both of 0.05 to 1% V and 0.05 to 1% Mo, with the balance being Zr and incidental impurities, all percentages being based on weight.

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Omiya, Japan

Takeshi Isobe