An evaluation of the segmented expanding cone-mandrel test to assess hydride re-orientation and ductility reduction for Zircaloy-2 cladding tubes

Karl-Fredrik, Nilsson; Negyesi, Martin; Száraz, Zoltán; Simonovski, Igor

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.07.019

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Under hoop tensile stress, the distribution of hydride usually alters from the original circumferential to the axial direction, which is known as hydride reorientation [ 6 ]. Reoriented hydride significantly reduces the mechanical properties of Zircaloys and reduces the service life of nuclear-fuel cladding and the safety storage of spent nuclear fuel [ 7 , 8 ]. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the nucleation, growth, reorientation, and embrittlement mechanism of hydrides is important for effectively controlling the detrimental effects of hydrides on Zr.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of Hydride Nucleation, Growth, Reorientation, and Embrittlement in Zirconium: A Review

Jia

Han

2023

Materials

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Zirconium (Zr) hydrides threaten the reliability of fuel assembly and have repeatedly induced failures in cladding tubes and pressure vessels. Thus, they attract a broad range of research interests. For example, delayed hydride cracking induced a severe fracture and failure in a Zircaloy-2 pressure tube in 1983, causing the emergency shutdown of the Pickering nuclear reactor. Hydride has high hardness and very low toughness, and it tends to aggregate toward cooler or tensile regions, which initiates localized hydride precipitation and results in delayed hydride cracking. Notably, hydride reorientation under tensile stress substantially decreases the fracture toughness and increases the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of Zr alloys, which reduces the safety of the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. Therefore, improving our knowledge of Zr hydrides is useful for effectively controlling hydride embrittlement in fuel assembly. The aim of this review is to reorganize the mechanisms of hydride nucleation and growth behaviors, hydride reorientation under external stress, and hydride-induced embrittlement. We revisit important examples of progress of research in this field and emphasize the key future aspects of research on Zr hydrides.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%