Method of manufacturing a corrosion-resistant zirconium alloy for a nuclear fuel cladding tube

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a zirconium alloy for a nuclear fuel cladding tube includes melting a mixture of 0.5 wt % of Nb, 0.4 wt % of Mo, 0.1 to 0.15 wt % of Cu, 0.15 to 0.2 wt % of Fe, and a balance of zirconium to prepare a melted ingot; heat treating the melted ingot at 1,000 to 1,050° C. for 30 to 40 min. followed by quenching in water to prepare a heat-treated ingot; preheating the heat-treated ingot at 630 to 650° C. for 20 to 30 min. to prepare a preheated ingot followed by hot rolling the preheated ingot at a reduction ratio of 60 to 65% to provide a hot-rolled material; thrice performing vacuum annealing followed by cold-rolling; and vacuum annealing a third cold-rolled material in a final vacuum annealing at 510 to 520° C. for 7 to 9 hrs. to provide the zirconium alloy as a cold-rolled material.