High Temperature Steam Oxidation Behavior of Zr-1Nb- xFe Alloy Under Simulated LOCA Condition

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2022.00632

Acta Metall Sin

2024, Vol. 60

Issue (5): 670-680 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2022.00632

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High Temperature Steam Oxidation Behavior of Zr-1Nb- xFe Alloy Under Simulated LOCA Condition

WANG Jinxin¹, YAO Meiyi¹(

), LIN Yuchen¹, CHEN Liutao², GAO Changyuan², XU Shitong¹, HU Lijuan¹, XIE Yaoping¹, ZHOU Bangxin¹

1 Institute of Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072, China
2 China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd., Shenzhen 518031, China

Cite this article:

WANG Jinxin, YAO Meiyi, LIN Yuchen, CHEN Liutao, GAO Changyuan, XU Shitong, HU Lijuan, XIE Yaoping, ZHOU Bangxin. High Temperature Steam Oxidation Behavior of Zr-1Nb- xFe Alloy Under Simulated LOCA Condition. Acta Metall Sin, 2024, 60(5): 670-680.

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Abstract

Zirconium alloys are widely used as fuel cladding materials in water-cooled nuclear reactors due to their properties such as small thermal neutron absorption cross section, good corrosion resistance to high-temperature steam and high-pressure water, excellent mechanical properties and good compatibility with UO₂. However, under loss of coolant accident (LOCA) conditions, zirconium alloy undergoes high-temperature steam oxidation and loses its structural integrity, threatening nuclear reactor safety. With the development of the nuclear power industry, increasing demands are put forward for zirconium alloys to withstand higher burnup; hence, studying their behavior under high-temperature steam oxidation during simulated LOCA is crucial. Fe is a significant alloying element in zirconium alloys, and its addition can improve their properties. Zr-1Nb alloy is a commercial alloy with excellent corrosion resistance, and adding an appropriate amount of Fe (0.1%-0.4%; mass fraction) can further enhance the corrosion resistance of the Zr-1Nb alloy under normal operating conditions. However, the effect of adding Fe on the high-temperature steam oxidation behavior of the Zr-1Nb alloy is unclear. Therefore, the oxidation behavior of Zr-1Nb-xFe (x = 0, 0.05, 0.2, and 0.4; mass fraction, %) alloys were investigated in steam at 800, 900, 1000, 1100, and 1200^oC for 3600 s using a simultaneous thermal analyzer with a steam generator. The microstructure and microhardness of the samples before and after oxidation were analyzed using a metallographic microscope and Vickers hardness tester. The results revealed that adding Fe generally reduced the high-temperature steam oxidation resistance of Zr-1Nb-xFe alloys from 800^oC to 1100^oC for 3600 s. The effect of Fe contents on the oxidation behavior of the Zr-1Nb alloy was complex and did not show a consistent change with increasing Fe content. When oxidized at 1200^oC for 3600 s, the difference in Fe content had hardly any effect on the high-temperature steam oxidation resistance of Zr-1Nb-xFe alloys. As the oxidation temperature increased, the oxidation kinetics of the four alloys generally changed from a parabolic to a linear pattern, even occurring to multiple transitions, which was closely related to the change process of the α↔β phase for the zirconium matrix and the monoclinic (m) ↔ tetragonal (t) phase for ZrO₂.

Key words: zirconium alloy loss of coolant accident (LOCA) high-temperature steam oxidation microstructure phase transition

Received: 18 December 2022

ZTFLH:

TL341

Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(51871141)

Corresponding Authors: YAO Meiyi, professor, Tel: 13818897458, E-mail: yaomeiyi@shu.edu.cn

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	Articles by authors
	WANG Jinxin
	YAO Meiyi
	LIN Yuchen
	CHEN Liutao
	GAO Changyuan
	XU Shitong
	HU Lijuan
	XIE Yaoping
	ZHOU Bangxin

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2022.00632 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2024/V60/I5/670

Table 1 Chemical compositions of Zr-1Nb-xFe alloys

Fig.1 Oxidation kinetics curves of four alloys oxidized in 800^oC (a), 900^oC (b), 1000^oC (c), 1100^oC (d), and 1200^oC (e) steam for 3600 s

Table 2 Oxidation kinetic parameters of four alloys oxidized in 800-1200^oC steam for 3600 s

Table 3 Compared to 0Fe alloy, the percentages of weight gain change for 0.05Fe, 0.2Fe, and 0.4Fe alloys oxidized in 800-1200^oC steam for 3600 s

Fig.2 Cross-sectional OM images of 0Fe (a1, a2), 0.05Fe (b1, b2), 0.2Fe (c1, c2), and 0.4Fe (d1, d2) alloys oxidized in 800^oC steam for 3600 s (Figs.2a2-d2 are the enlarged images of middle area of Figs.2a1-d1, respectively)

Fig.3 Cross-sectional OM images of 0Fe (a1, a2), 0.05Fe (b1, b2), 0.2Fe (c1, c2), and 0.4Fe (d1, d2) alloys oxidized in 900^oC steam for 3600 s (Figs.3a2-d2 are the enlarged images of middle area of Figs.3a1-d1, respectively)

Fig.4 Cross-sectional OM images of 0Fe (a1-a3), 0.05Fe (b1-b3), 0.2Fe (c1-c3), and 0.4Fe (d1-d3) alloys oxidized in 1000^oC (a1-d1), 1100^oC (a2-d2), and 1200^oC (a3-d3) steam for 3600 s

Fig.5 Layer thickness ratios of four alloys oxidized in 800^oC (a), 900^oC (b), 1000^oC (c), 1100^oC (d), and 1200^oC (e) steam for 3600 s

Table 4 Vickers hardnesses of different tissue layers in cross section of four alloys oxidized in 800-1200^oC steam for 3600 s

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