• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.326-333
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• 2008

Since the 1990s, the second generation of Zirconium alloys containing main alloy compositions of Nb, Sn and Fe have been used as a replacement of Zircaloy-4 (Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr), a first-generation Zirconium alloy, to meet severe and rigorous reactor operating conditions characterized by high-burn-up, high-power and high-pH operations. In this study, the mechanical properties and creep behaviors of Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr and Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe alloys were investigated in a temperature range of $450{\sim}500^{\circ}C$ and in a stress range of $80{\sim}150\;MPa$. The mechanical testing results indicate that the yield and tensile strengths of the Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe alloy are slightly higher compared to those of Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr. This can be explained by the second phase strengthening of the $\beta$-Nb precipitates. The creep test results indicate that the stress exponent for the steady-state creep rate decreases with the increase in the applied stress. However, the stress exponent of the Zr-Sn-Fe-Cr alloy is lower than that of the Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe alloy in a relatively high stress range, whereas the creep activation energy of the former is slightly higher than that of the latter. This can be explained by the dynamic deformation aging effect caused by the interaction of dislocations with Sn substitutional atoms. A higher Sn content leads to a lower stress exponent value and higher creep activation energy.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.364-372
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• 2008

In this study, the circumferential creep behaviors ofpilgered advanced Zirconium alloy tubes such as Zr-Nb-O and Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe were investigated in the temperature range of $400\sim500^{\circ}C$ and in the stress range of 80$\sim$150MPa. The test results indicate that the stress exponent for the steady-state creep rate of the Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe alloy decreases with the increase of stress(from 6$\sim$7 to 4), while that of the Zr-Nb-O alloy is nearly independent of stress(5$\sim$6). The activation energy of creep deformation is found to be nearly the same as the activation energy for Zr self diffusion. This indicates that the creep deformation may be controlled by dislocation climb mechanism in Zr-Nb-O. On the other hand, the transition of stress exponent(from 6-7 to 4) in Zr-Nb Sn-Fe strongly suggests the transition of the rate controlling mechanism at high stresses. The lower stress exponent at high stresses in Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe can be explained by the dynamic deformation aging effect caused by interaction of dislocations with Sn substitutional atoms.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2011

To investigate the relationship between heat treatment in zirconium alloy tubing process and metallurgical characteristics of Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy tubes, mechanical and oxidation behaviors of tubes heat treated at different temperatures after the final pilgering were investigated. The stress strain curves exhibited the saturation behaviors in all heat treatment conditions ($460{\sim}600^{\circ}C$) in this study with the onset strain of saturation increased with increase of post-pilgering annealing temperature. The strength fell off rapidly with increasing annealing temperature. The ultimate strength of the low tin Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy with slightly higher iron and oxygen contents in this study was found to be higher than Zr-1Nb-1Sn-0.1Fe alloy. The oxidation experiments in steam condition revealed that the corrosion resistance of low tin Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy was better than the Zr-1Nb-1Sn-0.1Fe alloy with a higher Sn content. The weight gain of low tin Zr-1Nb-0.69Sn-0.11Fe alloy tubes gradually increased with the increasing annealing temperature possibly due to the decreased Nb content in the matrix because of the formation of ${\beta}-Nb$ particles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.405-412
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• 2001

Corrosion tests were carried out in $360^{\circ}C$ water and $360^{\circ}C$ 70ppm LiOH solution to investigate the corrosion behavior of new zirconium alloys (Zr-0.4Nb-0.8Sn-xFeCrMn, Zr-0.2Nb-1.1Sn-xFeCrMn, Zr-1.0Nb-xFeCu). Microstructures of tested alloys were analyzed by optical microscope and TEM. The cross-sectional surface and crystalline structure of the oxide layer were analyzed by SEM and XRD. From the results of corrosion test, all the alloys showed higher corrosion rates in $360^{\circ}C$ 70ppm LiOH aqueous solution thats in $360^{\circ}C$ water. Especially, high Nb-containing alloy exhibited the acceleration of corrosion rate in LiOH solution. The low Nb- and Sn-added alloys showed better corrosion resistance than the Sn- free high Nb alloy. from the effect of final annealing on the corrosion, it was observed that the partially recrystallized alloys showed better corrosion resistance than fully recrystallized alloys. This would be related to the size and distribution of the second phase particles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.458-467
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• 1995

여러가지 Zr합금에 대한 부식시험을 autoclave를 이용하여 물과 여러가지 Li 용액에서 수행하였다. 합금은 11종의 신합금을 사용하였는데 크게 나누어 Zircaly형 합금(ZrSnFeCr), ZnNbFeCr, ZrSnNbFeCr과 ZrFeCr 합금으로 대별되며, 비교평가를 위해 표준 Zircaloy-4 합금에 대해서도 부식시험을 수행하였다.모든 합금에서 Li을 일정농도이상 첨가할 때 부식은 가속되는데, 부식은 Li의 농도가 2.2와 30ppm 사이일 때 가속되기 시작한다. Li은 부식거동에 있어서 천이후 영역에서의 부식속도보다는 천이시간과 무게 증가량에 더 영향을 끼치는 것으로 나타났다. 수소 흡수율은 Li 농도와 합금에 따라서 강하게 영향을 받는것으로 나타났으며, Li 농도가 30ppm이상에서는 Li 가속부식과 함께 Li가속 수소흡수현상이 나타났다. ZrSnFeCr합금들은 낮은 부식속도와 늦은 천이현상을 보이며 표준 Zircaloy보다 훨씬 우수한 부식저항성을 보인 반면에 대부분의 Nb첨가 합금은 높은 부식속도와 빠른 천이 현상을 보였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.248.1-248
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.255-255
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.218.1-218
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.263.1-263
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.05b
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• pp.623-628
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• 1995

여러 가지 Zr합금에 대한 부식시험을 autoclave를 이용하여 물과 여러 가지 Li 용액에서 수행하였다. 합금은 11종의 신합금을 사용하였는데 크게 나누어 Zircaloy형 합금(ZrSnFeCr), ZrNbFeCr, ZrSnNbFeCr과 ZrFeCr 합금으로 대별되며, 비교평가를 위해 표준 Zircaloy-4 합금에 대해서도 부식시험을 수행하였다. 모든 합금에서 Li을 일정농도이상 첨가할 때 부식은 가속되는데, 부식은 Li의 농도가 2.2와 30 ppm 사이일 때 가속되기 시작한다. Li은 부식거동에 있어서 천이후 영역에서의 부식속도 보다는 천이시간과 무게 증가량에 더 영향을 끼치는 것으로 나타났다. 수소흡수율은 Li 농도와 합금에 따라서 강하게 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났으며, Li 농도가 30 ppm 이상에서는 Li 가속부식과 함께 Li가속 수소흡수현상이 나타났다. ZrSnFeCr합금들은 낮은 부식속도와 늦은 천이현상을 보이며 표준 Zircaloy보다 훨씬 우수한 부식저항성을 보인 반면에, 대부분의 Nb첨가 합금은 높은 부식속도와 빠른 천이 현상을 보였다.