Mechanical Properties and Creep Behaviors of Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr and Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe Alloy Cladding Tubes

Abstract

Since the 1990s, the second generation of Zirconium alloys containing main alloy compositions of Nb, Sn and Fe have been used as a replacement of Zircaloy-4 (Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr), a first-generation Zirconium alloy, to meet severe and rigorous reactor operating conditions characterized by high-burn-up, high-power and high-pH operations. In this study, the mechanical properties and creep behaviors of Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr and Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe alloys were investigated in a temperature range of 450~500 o C and in a stress range of 80~150 MPa. The mechanical testing results indicate that the yield and tensile strengths of the Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe alloy are slightly higher compared to those of Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr. This can be explained by the second phase strengthening of the β-Nb precipitates. The creep test results indicate that the stress exponent for the steady-state creep rate decreases with the increase in the applied stress. However, the stress exponent of the Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr alloy is lower than that of the Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe alloy in a relatively high stress range, whereas the creep activation energy of the former is slightly higher than that of the latter. This can be explained by the dynamic deformation aging effect caused by the interaction of dislocations with Sn substitutional atoms. A higher Sn content leads to a lower stress exponent value and higher creep activation energy.