Zirconium niobium tin alloys for nuclear fuel rods and structural parts for high burnup

摘要

Zirconium alloys for use in an aqueous environment subject to high fluence of a water reactor and characterized by improved corrosion resistance, consisting essentially of from 0.5 to 3.25 weight percent niobium, from 0.3 to 1.8 weight percent tin, the balance of alloys being essentially nuclear grade zirconium with incidental impurities and having a microstructure of beta niobium second phase precipitates distributed uniformly intragranularly and intergranularly to form radiation resistant second phase precipitates in the alloy matrix.