Zircaloy-4 cladding hydride reorientation under ring compression test conditions

Vincent Busser (1) , Jean Desquines (2) , Christian Duriez (3) , Marie-Christine Baietto (4) , Jean-Paul Mardon (5)

1 IRSN/DPAM/SEMCA/LEC - Laboratoire d'Etude du Combustible
2 IRSN - Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire
3 SHACRA - Simulation in Healthcare using Computer Research Advances
4 MIMESIS - Mécanique Multiéchelle pour les solides
5 AREVA NP - Centre Technique (FRANCE)

Temperature increase induces partial or total dissolution of Zirconium hydrides. After this dissolution phase, a cool down under applied stresses can promote radial precipitation of hydrides. Radial hydrides are known to have a deleterious impact on the cladding strength and ductility. The objective of this study is to evaluate, using ring compression tests (RCT), the required stress level leading to the formation of radial hydrides within the cladding during a thermal-mechanical transient. The obtained results are in good agreement with literature data obtained using different specimen geometry. The tests provide quantitative information on the radial hydride induced embrittlement. Ring compression test appears to be an efficient tool for hydride reorientation analysis.

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Vincent Busser, Jean Desquines, Christian Duriez, Marie-Christine Baietto, Jean-Paul Mardon. Zircaloy-4 cladding hydride reorientation under ring compression test conditions. Top Fuel 2009, Sep 2009, Paris, France. ⟨hal-01952480⟩