Creep resistant zirconium alloy and nuclear fuel cladding incorporating said alloy

摘要

The present invention provides a creep resistant zirconium alloy comprising a coarse grained lath alpha microstructure. The microstructure can include small second phase precipitates. The small second phase precipitates can have a diameter less than 0.15 m. The microstructure can be partially recrystallized. The microstructure is an acicular structure and can include a lath spacing within the range from about 0.5 to about 3.0 m. The microstructure is an acicular structure and can include a lath spacing within the range from about 0.5 to about 3.0 m. The present invention provides a nuclear fuel cladding comprising an annular layer of the creep resistant zirconium alloy. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing a creep resistant zirconium alloy comprising the steps of beat heat treating a zirconium alloy to form a first intermediate, fast quenching the first intermediate to form a second intermediate, cold working the second intermediate within the range from about 30% to about 40% to form a third intermediate, and annealing the third intermediate to effect partial recrystallization.