Trace elements can reduce the fracture resistance of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes. The effects of hydrogen as hydrides and oxygen as an alloy-strengthening agent are well known, but the contributions of carbon, phosphorus, chlorine, and segregated oxygen have only recently been recognized. Carbides and phosphides are brittle particles, while chlorine segregates to form planes of weakness that produce fissures on the fracture face of test specimens. A high density of fissures is associated with low toughness. With long hold times in the (α + β) region, oxygen partitions into the α-grains; such grains are hard and, if they survive fabrication, may reduce the toughness of the finished tube. Through a cooperative program involving AECL and the manufacturers, a series of manufacturing innovations and controls has been introduced that minimizes these harmful effects. Hydrogen is present in the zirconium sponge as water, can be absorbed at each stage of tube fabrication, and needs to be carefully controlled, particularly during ingot breakdown and subsequent forging. Hydrogen concentrations in finished tubes have been reduced by a factor of three through the optimization of manufacturing processes and the implementation of new technology. Multiple vacuum arc melting, use of selected raw materials, and intermediate ingot surface conditioning have resulted in much improved fracture toughness through the reduction of chlorine and phosphorus concentrations. Optimum distribution of oxygen may be achieved through changes to the extrusion process cycle. An understanding of the Zr-2.5Nb-C phase diagram, particularly the solubility of carbon at low concentrations, has resulted in the specification of a lower carbon concentration.
The diametral expansion of pressure tubes in CANDU™ reactors due to irradiation creep and growth is an important property that may limit the useful life of the tubes. Measurements accumulated over many years have shown that there is considerable variability in diametral strain rates between tubes. There is also considerable variability in the creep and growth response as a function of axial location, which is due to axial variations in operating temperature and flux, and to a gradual change in grain structure and crystallographic texture from one end of the tube to the other. The net effect is that pressure tubes tend to deform at a faster rate when the back end of the tube (i.e., the end leaving the extrusion press last) is installed at the fuel-channel outlet. The primary cause of the difference in microstructure along a given tube is the temperature change during the extrusion process. This end-to-end variation itself varies from tube to tube, due to variations in extrusion conditions from one extrusion run to the next, and also due to variations in ingot chemistry and billet processing. A semiempirical predictive model has been developed previously to represent the irradiation creep and growth behavior of a generic pressure tube, with a standardized microstructure, as a function of temperature and neutron flux. The diametral strain data from one hundred and twenty-five Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes have been compared with the model. Deviations from predicted behavior have been correlated with the available microstructure, chemistry, and manufacturing data. Apart from obvious microstructural dependencies of diametral strain, such as the relationship with texture, grain structure is also a significant parameter that varies considerably from tube to tube and correlates strongly with diametral strain. The textures and grain structures, themselves, are related to manufacturing conditions (billet processing, extrusion pressures, temperatures, and soak times) and also, to some extent, on the impurity content of the material (due to the modifying effects on the Zr-Nb phase diagram).
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