Iodine-induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of zirconium cladding tubes is a well known problem inherent in fuel cladding operation in nuclear reactor core. In the present work we have applied a previously developed approach of SCC-testing of zirconium cladding tubes which includes acoustic emission measurements, fractography and metallographic analysis to study how the zirconium alloy strength influences the mechanisms, kinetics and overall resistance of cladding tubes to iodine-induced SCC. A set of different alloy claddings having different strength (yield strength and ultimate tensile strength) have been comparatively tested for SCC. Claddings have been manufactured from different industrial zirconium alloys and have been tested as-received. It has been shown, that zirconium alloy strength increases the susceptibility of claddings to SCC via changing mechanisms and kinetics of SCC.

Subject
Hardening, Materials, Metal surfaces, Tubes, Zirconium, Corrosion cracking, Stress cracking, Intergranular cracking, Oxide surfaces, Zirconium alloys, Fracture, Alloys, Stress corrosion cracking
Keywords:
zirconium alloy, fuel cladding, stress corrosion cracking, acoustic emission
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2010
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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