Thermal fatigue of Zircaloy‑4 cladded U‑7.5Nb‑2.5Zr

Abstract

Prototype plates made of U-7.5Nb-2.5Zr alloy, also known as Mulberry alloy, cladded with Zircaloy-4 were thermally fatigued between 200 ºC and 500 ºC investigated. The assembly consisting of a Uranium alloy monolithic core and the Zircaloy-4 cladding was processed by hot rolling and investigated in the “as rolled” state, as well as after applying 9% and 18% reduction in cold rolling. The samples were characterized by Optical microscopy and X-Ray diffraction both before and after the thermal cycling. All samples presented strong volume contraction (shrinkage) in the first thermal cycle, observed concomitantly with the γ → α" transformation. The relative shrinkage varied with the cold rolling level, being larger for the “as rolled” plate. The failure mechanism observed in all plates was fracture alongside the U-alloy/Zircaloy-4 interface and no transverse crack was observed either in the Zircaloy-4 sheet or in the Uranium core.