Effect of dissolved oxygen on corrosion behavior of Zr-0.85Sn-0.16Nb-0.37Fe-0.18Cr alloy in 500℃ and 10.3 MPa super-heated steam

To better understand the role of dissolved oxygen(DO) in affecting corrosion behavior of zirconium alloys,the Zr-0.85 Sn-0.16 Nb-0.37 Fe-0.18 Cr(wt.%) alloy was corroded in super-heated steam at 500℃ and 10.3 MPa under 1×10-6 DO and deaeration conditions.The microstructure of the alloy and oxide films was investigated by SEM,TEM,EDS and EBSD.Results show that the corrosion is aggravated under 1×10-6 DO.Compared with the deaeration condition,the oxide film is looser,and has more micro-cracks and more uneven inner surface under DO condition.For the oxide film forming under deaeration condition,the selected area diffraction(SAED) spots of planes(002)m,■ and(101)t are strong,while those of the(001)m and■ are weak.However,for the oxide film forming under DO condition,the SAED spots of planes(111)m,(200)m and(101)t are strong,while those of the(100)m and(110)m are weak.The higher DO content in super-heated steam accelerates the growth of oxide films,thus decreasing the corrosion resistance of zirconium alloys.

Oxide Layers on(0001) Plane of Zircaloy-4 After Corrosion at 360 °C in Lithiated Aqueous Solution

The microstructures of the oxide layers formed on near （0001） plane of Zircaloy-4 were investigated by autoclave tests at 360 ℃ in lithiated aqueous solution. Oxygen-rich regions with hcp structure were observed at the undulating O/M interface, and the inner surface morphology of the oxide layers formed on （0001） was only concave- convex. Monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic phases and a kind of zirconium sub-oxide with bcc structure were detected in the oxide layer near the metal matrix. This zirconium sub-oxide layer had a coherent relationship with a-Zr matrix, and the growth direction of the zirconium sub-oxide layer was nearly parallel to the [0001] direction of a-Zr regardless of the orientation of metal matrix. The orientations scattering of columnar grains formed on near （0001） plane differ from that formed on near （1010） plane.

Effect of Surface State on Nodular Corrosion Resistance of Zircaloy-4 Alloy

The effect of surface state on the nodular corrosion resistance of Zircaloy-4 alloy was investigated in super- heated steam at 500 ℃/10.3 MPa by autoclave tests. The microstructures of oxide films on the corroded specimens were observed by TEM and SEM. The results indicate that surface strained layer delays the appearance of nodular spots on the specimen surfaces and improves the nodular corrosion resistance. The columnar grains orientation of the oxide films formed on the specimens with surface strained layer was more consistent than that on the specimens without surface strained layer when a comparison was made on the same orientation of the grain surfaces. Such a kind of oxide micro- structure formed on the specimens with surface strained layer can hinder the diffusion of oxygen ions along the grain boundaries and delay the growth of oxide films, therefore retard the formation process of nodular spots. This indicates that the microstructure of the initial oxide films has an important influence on the subsequent growth of the oxide films.

Microstructure of Bi-containing zirconium alloys

The effect of Bi addition(0.05 wt%-0.50 wt%)on the microstructure of zirconium alloys,including T5(Zr-0.7 S n-1.0 Nb-0.3 Fe-0.1 Cr),S5(Zr-0.8 Sn-0.35 Nb-0.4 Fe-0.1 Cr),Zr-4(Zr-1.5 Sn-0.2 Fe-0.1 Cr) and Zr-1 Nb,was investigated by transmission electron microscopy(TEM),energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS) and selected area electron diffraction(SAED).Results show that with the increase in Bi content,h-Zr(Fe,Cr,Nb)2,o-Zr(Fe,Sn,Bi)_(2) and Zr-Fe-Cr-Nb-Sn-Bi second-phase particles(SPPs) precipitate successively in the T5+xBi and S5+xBi alloys;in the Zr-4+xBi alloys,h-Zr(Fe,Cr)2,o-Zr(Fe,Sn,Bi)2,Zr-Fe-Cr-Sn-Bi and Zr-Fe-Cr-Bi SPPs are detected successively.While as for Zr-1 Nb+xBi alloys,Bi-free SPPs appear.The addition of Bi promotes the precipitation of SPPs with Sn in the alloys.The concentration of Bi dissolved in α-Zr matrix increases with the decrease in Sn content in the alloys.Adding reasonable Bi has little influence on the solid solution content of Nb in α-Zr matrix.