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Oxidation of Zircaloy-4 during in situ proton irradiation and corrosion in PWR primary water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2015

Peng Wang*
Affiliation:
Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
Gary S. Was
Affiliation:
Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: wpf@umich.edu
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Abstract

The kinetics and morphology of oxides formed during in situ proton irradiation–corrosion experiment were analyzed. Experiments were conducted in 320 °C water with 3 wt ppm H2, while irradiated by a 3.2-MeV proton beam at a current density of 2 µA/cm2 producing a damage rate at 4.4 × 10−7 dpa/s. The resulting oxide was compared with reference samples corroded in an autoclave, and literature data found on in-reactor formed oxide. The corrosion rate of the sample irradiated in situ was 10 times faster than the in-pile corrosion rate. The cracked and porous irradiated oxide consisted of monoclinic equiaxed grains of zirconia with a preferential orientation of the oxide grains. Second phase particles (SPPs) consumed by the oxidation front were rapidly oxidized, but no SPPs were amorphized or dissolved in the metal matrix of the irradiated sample.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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Footnotes

Contributing Editor: Joel Ribis

References

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