Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T19:42:02.361Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

3D Visualisation of Crack Distributions in Oxidised Zirconium Alloys by FIB-Slicing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2012

Chris R. M. Grovenor ,
Na Ni ,
Sean S. Yardley ,
Gareth Hughes ,
Sergio Lozano-Perez  and
John M. Sykes
Chris R. M. Grovenor
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Na Ni
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
Sean S. Yardley
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Gareth Hughes
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Sergio Lozano-Perez
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
John M. Sykes
Affiliation:
Department of Materials, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Get access

Abstract

Zirconium alloys have been used as fuel cladding and structural fuel assembly components in nuclear reactors since the 1950s, and show a characteristic variation in oxidation rate and layered crack morphology during aqueous corrosion. It is common to associate the first phenomenon with the appearance of the second. We have used 3D serial sectioning to study the morphology and distribution of cracks in corroded ZIRLO samples at different stages of oxidation, and have shown that cracks nucleate and grow at all stages of the oxidation process not just at the kinetic transition. We have used this data to analyse the nucleation of cracks with reference to the shape of the oxide/metal interface and the distribution of second phase precipitates.

Keywords

Zroxidationnuclear materials
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1421: Symposium PP – Three-Dimensional Tomography of Materials , 2012 , mrsf11-1421-pp01-08
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Ahmed, T. and Keys, L.H., Journal of the Less-Common Metals, 39, 99 (1975).Google Scholar
2. Lemaignan, C., Corrosion of Zirconium Alloy Components in Light Water Reactors, (ASM Handbook, 2006. 13C Corrosion: Environments and Industries) pp. 415–420.Google Scholar
3. Cox, B., “Oxidation of Zirconium and its alloys”, Advances in Corrosion Science and Technology Vol. 5, ed. Fontana, M. G., Staehle, R. W. (Plenum, Ny, 1976).Google Scholar
4. Griggs, B., Maffei, H.P., and Shannon, D.W., Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 1962. 109, 665 (1962)Google Scholar
5. Bryner, J. S., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 82, 84 (1979)Google Scholar
6. Maroto, A. J. G., et al. ., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 229, 79 (1996)Google Scholar
7. Yilmazbayhan, A., et al. ., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 349, 265 (2006)Google Scholar
8. Bossis, P., Lelièvre, G., Barberis, P., Iltis, X., Lefebvre, F., Thomas, L., Maguire, M., “Multi-scale characterization of the metal-oxide interface of zirconium alloys”, Zirconium in the Nuclear Industry: Twelfth International Symposium, ed. Sabol, G. P. and Moan, G. D. (ASTM International, 2000), pp. 918–945.Google Scholar
9. McGrouther, D. and Munroe, P. R., Microscopy Research and Technique, 70, 186 (2007)Google Scholar
10. Natesan, K. and Soppet, W.K., Hydrogen Effects on Air Oxidation of Zirlo Alloy. Argonne National Laboratory Reports ANL-04/14, 2004.Google Scholar
11. Schaffer, B., Grogger, W., and Kothleitner, G., Ultramicroscopy, 102, 27 (2004)Google Scholar
12. Abolhassani, S., Barta, G., and Jakobb, A., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 399, 1 (2009).Google Scholar
13. Cox, B., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 336, 331 (2005)Google Scholar
14. Yilmazbayhan, A., et al. ., Journal of Nuclear Materials, 324, 6 (2004)Google Scholar
15. Ni, N., Lozano-Perez, S., Sykes, J.M., Smith, G.D.W., Grovenor, C.R.M., Corrosion Science, 53, 4073 (2011)Google Scholar