NSUF 16-840: Hydride Microstructure at the Metal-Oxide Interface of Zircaloy-4 from H.B. Robinson Nuclear Reactor
During nuclear reactor operation, some of the hydrogen that is produced by the water side corrosion is uptaken by cladding. When the uptaken hydrogen content exceeds its solubility limit in the cladding at a specific temperature, it precipitates as hydride particles in the cladding. This process occurs immediately at the metal-oxide interface forming a hydride rim because of the temperature gradient in the cladding. The presence of a hydride rim and its microstructure severely reduces the cladding strength and can induce crack initiation and propagation during design basis accidents, spent nuclear fuel trasportation and dry-storage. To assess the possible crack initiation sites and mechanisms, high resolution microstructural characterization of hydride rim becomes essential to facilitate continued alloy development and increase the mechanical performance of current cladding during nuclear fuel cycle. The characterization of the hydride rim near the metal-oxide interface using the highly complementary S/TEM-EDS and tKD will enables us to understand the nature of hydride rim formation at the metal-oxide interface and develop informed microstructural models of the hydride-induced crack nucleation. We propose to characterize the metal-oxide interface of the reactor irradiated commercial Zircaloy-4 to elucidate the possible crack nucleation sites and mechanisms at the metal-oxide interface and their connection to the hydride habit planes with respect to the metal-oxide interface by employing S/TEM-EDS and tKD techniques.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abstract | During nuclear reactor operation, some of the hydrogen that is produced by the water side corrosion is uptaken by cladding. When the uptaken hydrogen content exceeds its solubility limit in the cladding at a specific temperature, it precipitates as hydride particles in the cladding. This process occurs immediately at the metal-oxide interface forming a hydride rim because of the temperature gradient in the cladding. The presence of a hydride rim and its microstructure severely reduces the cladding strength and can induce crack initiation and propagation during design basis accidents, spent nuclear fuel trasportation and dry-storage. To assess the possible crack initiation sites and mechanisms, high resolution microstructural characterization of hydride rim becomes essential to facilitate continued alloy development and increase the mechanical performance of current cladding during nuclear fuel cycle. The characterization of the hydride rim near the metal-oxide interface using the highly complementary S/TEM-EDS and tKD will enables us to understand the nature of hydride rim formation at the metal-oxide interface and develop informed microstructural models of the hydride-induced crack nucleation. We propose to characterize the metal-oxide interface of the reactor irradiated commercial Zircaloy-4 to elucidate the possible crack nucleation sites and mechanisms at the metal-oxide interface and their connection to the hydride habit planes with respect to the metal-oxide interface by employing S/TEM-EDS and tKD techniques. |
| Award Announced Date | 2016-12-16T07:47:57.057 |
| Awarded Institution | University of Michigan |
| Facility | Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory |
| Facility Tech Lead | Kevin Field, Kory Linton |
| Irradiation Facility | None |
| PI | Mahmut Cinbiz |
| PI Email | [email protected] |
| Project Type | RTE |
| RTE Number | 840 |