Effects of Final Heat Treatment on Corrosion and Mechanical Properties of Zr Alloy Strip Incorporating Nb

The effects of final heat treatment on the mechanical and corrosion properties of a Zr alloy strip incorporating Nb were investigated. The chemical composition of the strip was Zr-1.49Nb-0.38Sn-0.20Fe-0.11Cr, and strip specimens were subjected to final heat treatment in a temperature range of $580{\sim}700^{\circ}C$. Tensile tests at room temperature and $316^{\circ}C$, along with corrosion tests in a simulated PWR loop and a 70 ppm LiOH solution environment at $360^{\circ}C$, were performed on the specimens. The mechanical properties of the strip were saturated when the specimens received final heat treatment at an elevated temperature of more than $640^{\circ}C$. However, the corrosion resistance of the strip in the simulated PWR loop and in the 70 ppm LiOH solution environment was improved with a decrease of the final annealing temperature. It is recommended that the alloy strip be finally heat-treated at a temperature of less than $620^{\circ}C$ for longer than 10 minutes in order to obtain fully recrystallized microstructures, and thereby attain enlarged tensile elongation, and to prevent the precipitation of ${\beta}-Zr$, which is known to deteriorate the corrosion resistance.

니오븀이 첨가된 Zr 합금 스트립의 부식 및 기계적 특성에 대한 최종열처리 영향