The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 21, 1995
Filed:
Mar. 21, 1994
Ronald B Adamson, Fremont, CA (US);
Daniel R Lutz, San Jose, CA (US);
Joseph S Armijo, Saratoga, CA (US);
General Electric Company, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for forming a three-layer cladding tube having an outer substrate, a zirconium barrier layer, and an inner liner having alloying elements, in which the zirconium barrier layer (located between an outer substrate and inner liner) is at least partially alloyed with alloying elements that impart resistance to corrosion. The barrier layer has a diffusion layer extending from its inner surface (facing the fuel) to the barrier layer's interior (the interior being defined between the barrier layer's inner and outer surfaces). At the interior edge of the diffusion layer, there will be substantially no alloying elements beyond those normally present in zirconium. The methods of forming such structure include a diffusion anneal of a three-layer cladding in the range of 650.degree.-1000.degree. C. for times between about 1 minute and 20 hours. This anneal drives some of the alloying elements from the inner liner into the zirconium barrier layer to form the diffusion layer. The exact time and temperature depends upon the fabrication stage at which the heat treatment occurs.