Properties of tubes from Zr-1% Nb alloy after thermochemical treatment and hydrogenation

• Main Authors: Trush, V.S., Voyevodin, V.N., Stoev, P.I., Fedirko, V.N., Lukyanenko, A.G., Tikhonovsky, M.A., Panov, V.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Національний науковий центр «Харківський фізико-технічний інститут» НАН України 2021
• Series: Вопросы атомной науки и техники
• Subjects: Thermal and fast reactor materials
• Online Access: http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/195448

The influence of treatment in controlled gas environments with subsequent hydrogenation on the physical and mechanical characteristics of the Zr-1% Nb zirconium alloy has been investigated. The surface hardness and the size of the diffusion-hardened layer of the ring-samples cut from fuel tubes from the Zr-1% Nb alloy after treatment in oxygen- and nitrogen-containing gaseous media with subsequent saturation with hydrogen have been established. The influence of the parameters of the gaseous medium and the modes of thermochemical treatment (TCT) of specimens-rings on the destructive stresses under static load at temperatures of 20 and 380 °C is shown. It was revealed that treatment in the investigated gas environment increases the resistance to hydrogen saturation and has a positive effect on the long-term strength of ring specimens from the zirconium alloy Zr-1% Nb.