Formation of hydride in zircaloy-4 cladding tube

摘要

Since formation of hydride in zirconium and its alloys significantly influences the mechanical properties of the materials, the development of both a convenient and reliable hydrogen charging method and a determination technique for charged hydrogen in the materials is required to study the hydride effect on the related properties. In view of zirconium usage in nuclear power plants, the hydride mainly results from the hydrogen absorption by the reaction of zirconium with coolant water. When the hydrogen is absorbed above the solubility limit of the material, excess hydrogen is precipitated in the form of zirconium hydride in the metal. This leads to an increase in the embrittlement of the material, and a decrease in the life of the structural components in the nuclear reactors such as fuel rods and reactor vessels.