• 대한금속재료학회지
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• 제47권8호
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• pp.482-487
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• 2009

In order to investigate the effects of intermediate heat treatment between cold rolling passes on the hardness and corrosion properties of a Zr alloy incorporating Nb (Zr-1.49Nb-0.38Sn-0.20Fe-0.11Cr) strip, three different intermediate heat treatment processes ($580^{\circ}C{\times}4hrs$, $600^{\circ}C{\times}2hrs$ and $620^{\circ}{\times}1hrs$) were designed based on a recrystallization map and an accumulated annealing parameter. Test samples from the different processes were investigated by a hardness test, corrosion test, and microstructure analysis and appropriate heat-treatment conditions were thereupon proposed. The sample subjected to an intermediate heat treatment of $580^{\circ}C{\times}4hrs$ was harder than that undergoing $600^{\circ}C{\times}2hrs$ and $620^{\circ}C{\times}1hr$ while the corrosion resistance of the sample that received an intermediate heat treatment of $580^{\circ}C{\times}4hrs$ was superior to that of the other specimens. Considering the trade-off of hardness and corrosion resistance, an intermediate heat treatment process of $600^{\circ}C{\times}2hrs$ is proposed to improve the manufacturing process of the alloy strip.

• 대한금속재료학회지
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• 제47권8호
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• pp.474-481
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• 2009

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.

• 비파괴검사학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.334-341
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• 2003

중수로 압력관이 주위를 둘러싸고 있는 칼란드리아관과 접촉될 경우, 압력관의 내면과 외면의 온도차로 인하여 수소(중수소)의 열 확산이 발생하며 결과적으로 압력관 외면에 수소화물 블리스터가 형성된다. 수소화물 블리스터는 음향학적으로 지르코늄 매질과 연속성을 가지기 때문에 일반적인 초음파 검사법으로는 탐지하기가 어렵다. 지르코늄 압력관 외면에 발생한 작은 수소화물 블리스터를 압력관 내면에서 탐지하기 위하여 초음파 모드 변환 및 속도비 방법을 개발하였다. 정적인 열확산 실험 장치를 사용하여 압력관 외면에 수소화물 블리스터를 성장시켰다. 종파 에코의 비행시간과 모드 변환된 반사 횡파 에코의 비행시간을 측정하여 종파 대 횡파 속도비를 계산하였으며 이를 속도비를 수정된 등고선 표현 방식으로 나타냈다. 초음파 속도비 방법이 일반적인 종파 비행시간방법보다 수소화물 블리스터 탐지 감도가 우수하며 블리스터 형상화 측면에서도 실제 형상과 유사하게 재현하고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 또한 중수로 압력관 초음파 검사사양과 동일하게 최적화 조건에서 수소화물 블리스터 탐지한계는 보수적인 관점에서 압력관 외면에 나타나는 크기를 기준으로 약 $500{\mu}m$로 평가되었다.

• 자원리싸이클링
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.18-30
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• 2012

Zr은 고온에서의 높은 치수안정성, 내식성은 물론 낮은 중성자 흡수단면적을 지녀 원자력산업용 소재 중 1차 방사능 차폐재인 핵연료 피복관으로 사용되며 현재까지 다른 소재로 대체 불가능하다. 하지만 Hf을 정제한 Zr sponge 제조기술은 미국, 프랑스, 러시아만 가지고 있어 원자력의존도가 높은 한국에서는 국가전략물자로 분류 철저히 관리되고 있다. 국내 유통되는 Zr의 대부분은 원자력산업에 사용되어 지며 유통구조는 정제된 Zr합금을 국외로부터 수입하여 tube로 가공 후 핵연료집합체로 제조되고, 그 외 소량이 합금첨가원소 및 폭약재 등 고부가가치 일반산업에 사용된다. 본 논문에서는 Zr 제조기술에 대한 현재산업현황 및 정련기술을 살펴보고, 최근 연구되고 있는 Electrolytic reduction process와 Molten oxide electrolysis와 같은 신 제련기술에 대한 소개 및 Zr recycling의 전반적인 기술소개도 포함하였다.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.89-92
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• 2009

Pure Ti as well as Ti-6Al-4V alloy exhibit excellent properties for dental implant applications. However, for a better biocompatibility it seems important to avoid in the composition the presence of V due to the toxic effects of V ion release. Thus Al and V free and composed of non-toxic element such as Nb, Zr alloys as biomaterials have been developed. Especially, Zr contains to same family in periodic table as Ti. The addition of Zr to Ti alloy has an excellent mechanical properties, good corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. In this study, the electrochemical characteristics of Ti-Zr alloys for biomaterials have been investigated using by electrochemical methods. Methods: Ti-Zr(10, 20, 30 and 40 wt%) alloys were prepared by arc melting and homogenized for 24 hr at $1000^{\circ}C$ in argon atmosphere. Phase constitutions and microstructure of the specimens were characterized by XRD, OM and SEM. The corrosion properties of the specimens were examined through potentiodynamic test (potential range of -1500 ~ 2000 mV), potentiostatic test (const. potential of 300 mV) in artificial saliva solution by potentiostat (EG&G Co, PARSTAT 2273. USA).

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2003년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.1133-1138
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• 2003

The pressure tubes, which contain high temperature heavy water and fuel, are within the core of a CANDU nuclear reactor, and are thus subjected to high stresses, temperature gradient, and neutron flux. Further, it is well known that pressure tubes of cold-worked Zr-2.5Nb materials result in hydrogen diffusion, which create fully-hydrided regions (frequently called Blister). Thus a proper investigation of hydrogen diffusion within zirconium-alloy nuclear components, such as CANDU pressure tube and fuel channels is essential to predict the structural integrity of these components. In this respect, this paper presents numerical investigation of hydrogen diffusion to quantify the hydrogen concentration for blister growth of CANDU pressure tube. For this purpose, coupled temperature-hydrogen diffusion analyses are performed by means of two-dimensional finite element analysis. Comparison of predicted temperature field and blister with published test data shows good agreement.

• 열처리공학회지
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.198-208
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• 1997

The-steady-state creep mechanism and behavior of Zircaloy-4 used as cladding materials in PWR have been investigated in air environment over the temp, ranges from 600 to $645^{\circ}C$ and stress ranges from 4 to $7kg/mm^2$. The stress exponents for the creep deformation of this alloy, n were decreased 4.81, 4.71, 4.64, and 4.56 at 600, 615, 630 and $645^{\circ}C$, respectively; the stress exponents decreased with increasing the temperature and got closer to about 5. The apparent activation energies, Q, were 62.1, 60.0, 57.9 and 55.4 kcal/mole at stresses of 4, 5, 6, $7kg/mm^2$, respectively; the activation energies decreased with increasing the stress and were close to those of volume self diffusion of Zr in Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr system. In results, it can be considered that the creep deformation for Zircaloy-4 was controlled by the dislocation climb over the ranges of this experimental conditions. Larson-Miller parameter, P, for the crept specimens was obtained as P=(T+460)(logt,+23). The failure plane observed by SEM slightly showed up intergranular fracture at this experiment ranges. However, it was essentially dominated by the dimple phenomenon, which was a characteristics of the transgranular fracture.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.189-195
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• 2004

The pressure tubes, which contain high temperature heavy water and fuel, are within the core of a CANDU nuclear reactor, and are thus subjected to high stresses, temperature gradient, and neutron flux. Further, it is well known that pressure tubes of cold-worked Zr-2.5Nb materials result in hydrogen diffusion, which create fully-hydrided regions (frequently called Blister). Thus a proper investigation of hydrogen diffusion within zirconium-alloy nuclear components, such as CANDU pressure tube and fuel channels is essential to predict the structural integrity of these components. In this respect, this paper presents numerical investigation of hydrogen diffusion to quantify the hydrogen concentration fur blister growth of CANDU pressure tube. For this purpose, coupled temperature-hydrogen diffusion analyses are performed by means of two-dimensional finite element analysis. Comparison of predicted temperature field and blister with published test data shows good agreement.

• 한국분말재료학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.97-102
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• 2021

Powder quality, including high flowability and spherical shape, determines the properties of additively manufactured products. Therefore, the cheap production of high-quality powders is critical in additive manufacturing. Radio frequency plasma treatment is an effective method to fabricate spherical powders by melting the surface of irregularly shaped powders; in the present work, mechanically milled Zr powders are spheroidized by radio frequency plasma treatment and their properties are compared with those of commercial Zircaloy-2 alloy powder. Spherical Zr particles are successfully fabricated by plasma treatment, although their flowability and impurity contents are poorer than those of the commercial Zircaloy-2 alloy powder. This result shows that radio-frequency plasma treatment with mechanically milled powders requires further research and development for manufacturing low-cost powders for additive manufacturing.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권8호
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• pp.1742-1748
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• 2020

TSSD, TSSP, and TSSP2 of hydrogen for optimized-Zirlo (Zirlo™) alloy were measured by DSC in the range of 53-457 wppm. Solvus curves of the TSSs are derived and proposed in this study. The results show that the temperature gap between TSSD and TSSP solvus lines of Zirlo™ are similar to those of other zirconium alloys, but another gap between the TSSD and TSSP2 line differs significantly. In particular, the TSSP2 solvus line becomes closer to the TSSD solvus line than to TSSP unlike Zircaloy-4, so ΔT_TSSD-TSSP2 of Zirlo™ decreases with decreasing temperature. This implies that hydride reorientation can take place more significantly in Zirlo™ than in Zircaloy-4, and the limited temperature variation of 65 ℃ during the vacuum drying and the cooling-down process may not be sufficient to prevent the triggering of hydride reorientation in Zirlo™ cladding under long-term dry storage.