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:
Sep. 22, 2015
Filed:
Sep. 08, 2004
David White, Wilmington, NC (US);
Daniel R. Lutz, San Jose, CA (US);
Yang-pi Lin, Wilmington, NC (US);
John Schardt, Wilmington, NC (US);
Gerald Potts, Wilmington, NC (US);
David White, Wilmington, NC (US);
Daniel R. Lutz, San Jose, CA (US);
Yang-Pi Lin, Wilmington, NC (US);
John Schardt, Wilmington, NC (US);
Gerald Potts, Wilmington, NC (US);
Global Nuclear Fuel—Americas, LLC, Wilmington, NC (US);
Abstract
Disclosed herein are zirconium-based alloys and methods of fabricating nuclear reactor components, particularly fuel cladding tubes, from such alloys that exhibit improved corrosion resistance in aggressive coolant compositions. The fabrication steps include a late-stage β-treatment on the outer region of the tubes. The zirconium-based alloys will include between about 1.30 and 1.60 wt % tin; between about 0.06 and 0.15 wt % chromium; between about 0.16 and 0.24 wt % iron, and between 0.05 and 0.08 wt % nickel, with the total content of the iron, chromium and nickel comprising above about 0.31 wt % of the alloy and will be characterized by second phase precipitates having an average size typically less than about 40 nm. The final finished cladding will have a surface roughness of less than about 0.50 μm Ra and preferably less then about 0.10 μm Ra.