| Abstract |
| In order to evaluate the thermal creep properties of the zirconium alloy for nuclear application as fuel cladding, the creep test for the four types of the zirconium fuel cladding tubes which had different compositions was carried out by the internal pressurization method in the temperature of 400℃ and the hoop stress range from 100 to 150 MPa. Creep tests were performed up to 200 days, which showed the steady-state secondary creep rate. From the results of the creep test for the four types of the zirconium cladding tubes, the creep strain of those fuel claddings was gradually increased with increasing applied stress regardless of alloy composition. The alloying elements such as Sn, Nb were more effective in the creep resistance than other elements such as Fe, Cr, Mn and Cu, since the solubility of Sn and Nb in a-zirconium was higher than other elements. Therefore, to increase the creep property of the zirconium alloy it is necessary for the control of the alloying elements which have larger soluble limit in a-zirconium. |
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| Key Words |
| creep, zirconium, fuel cladding, alloying elements, final annealing |
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