Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel Metric
The Zr-2.5%Nb alloy used to manufacture the pressure tubes for the CANDU 600 power plant experiences continual corrosion when the reactor’s fuel channels are functioning normally. Analysis of the hydrogen accumulation circumstances, the creation of zirconium hydride platelets, evaluation of the plat...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Alexandra Ion Jinga Mărioara Abrudeanu Vasile Radu Alexandru Niţu Livia Stoica Denisa Toma Mircea Ionuţ Petrescu |
| author_facet | Alexandra Ion Jinga Mărioara Abrudeanu Vasile Radu Alexandru Niţu Livia Stoica Denisa Toma Mircea Ionuţ Petrescu |
| author_sort | Alexandra Ion Jinga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Zr-2.5%Nb alloy used to manufacture the pressure tubes for the CANDU 600 power plant experiences continual corrosion when the reactor’s fuel channels are functioning normally. Analysis of the hydrogen accumulation circumstances, the creation of zirconium hydride platelets, evaluation of the platelets’ reorientation in the thermo–mechanical field at volumetric flaws, and determination of the hydrogen morphology are therefore significant goals of the worldwide research being conducted in this field. In this paper, pressure tube alloy samples with artificial V flaws were hydrided by the technique of electrolytic deposition of a hydrogen film layer, followed by a specific thermal treatment. Micrographs of the Zr-2.5%Nb alloy samples in the radial cross-section were taken to examine the hydride reorientation phenomenon that occurred when the samples were heated under mechanical stress. The complex stress field around a tip flaw promoted the formation of some circles from hydride filaments. To characterize the zirconium hydride morphology in the reorientation zone at the volumetric flaw tip, image analysis and processing techniques were applied. To better characterize the reorientation zone from the point of view of embrittlement and mechanical behavior, this paper proposes a novel metric for the morphology of hydrides located in the reorientation zone. This work’s findings are beneficial for the investigation of CANDU fuel channels’ structural integrity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a597e4cab0434ddbbc383d5cc5c842a9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-a597e4cab0434ddbbc383d5cc5c842a92025-01-24T13:20:49ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-01-0115278710.3390/app15020787Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel MetricAlexandra Ion Jinga0Mărioara Abrudeanu1Vasile Radu2Alexandru Niţu3Livia Stoica4Denisa Toma5Mircea Ionuţ Petrescu6Doctoral School of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei, nr. 313, District 6, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaDoctoral School of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei, nr. 313, District 6, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaRATEN Institute for Nuclear Research, Campului Street, nr. 1, 115400 Mioveni, RomaniaRATEN Institute for Nuclear Research, Campului Street, nr. 1, 115400 Mioveni, RomaniaRATEN Institute for Nuclear Research, Campului Street, nr. 1, 115400 Mioveni, RomaniaRATEN Institute for Nuclear Research, Campului Street, nr. 1, 115400 Mioveni, RomaniaDepartment of Engineering and Management of Metallic Materials Casting, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei, nr. 313, District 6, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaThe Zr-2.5%Nb alloy used to manufacture the pressure tubes for the CANDU 600 power plant experiences continual corrosion when the reactor’s fuel channels are functioning normally. Analysis of the hydrogen accumulation circumstances, the creation of zirconium hydride platelets, evaluation of the platelets’ reorientation in the thermo–mechanical field at volumetric flaws, and determination of the hydrogen morphology are therefore significant goals of the worldwide research being conducted in this field. In this paper, pressure tube alloy samples with artificial V flaws were hydrided by the technique of electrolytic deposition of a hydrogen film layer, followed by a specific thermal treatment. Micrographs of the Zr-2.5%Nb alloy samples in the radial cross-section were taken to examine the hydride reorientation phenomenon that occurred when the samples were heated under mechanical stress. The complex stress field around a tip flaw promoted the formation of some circles from hydride filaments. To characterize the zirconium hydride morphology in the reorientation zone at the volumetric flaw tip, image analysis and processing techniques were applied. To better characterize the reorientation zone from the point of view of embrittlement and mechanical behavior, this paper proposes a novel metric for the morphology of hydrides located in the reorientation zone. This work’s findings are beneficial for the investigation of CANDU fuel channels’ structural integrity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/787CANDU pressure tubehydride crackingreorientation hydridesnovel metric |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra Ion Jinga Mărioara Abrudeanu Vasile Radu Alexandru Niţu Livia Stoica Denisa Toma Mircea Ionuţ Petrescu Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel Metric Applied Sciences CANDU pressure tube hydride cracking reorientation hydrides novel metric |
| title | Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel Metric |
| title_full | Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel Metric |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel Metric |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel Metric |
| title_short | Evaluation of the Zirconium Hydride Morphology at the Flaws in the CANDU Pressure Tube Using a Novel Metric |
| title_sort | evaluation of the zirconium hydride morphology at the flaws in the candu pressure tube using a novel metric |
| topic | CANDU pressure tube hydride cracking reorientation hydrides novel metric |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/2/787 |
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