Method for making a flat zirconium alloy product, resulting flat product and fuel, assembly component for nuclear power plant reactor made from said flat product
US7630470B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 20, 2004 |
| Grant date | Dec 8, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 20, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E30/30
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method of fabricating a zirconium alloy flat product, the method being characterized by: preparing or casting a zirconium alloy ingot containing at least 95% by weight of zirconium, and including the usual impurities and alloying elements; shaping said ingot in order to obtain a flat product; subjecting said flat product to a β quenching operation under conditions that are determined to obtain within the flat product an acicular structure at the end of said β quenching; subjecting said flat product, after the β quenching, to a rolling operation performed in a single rolling sequence without intermediate annealing, said rolling being performed at a temperature lying in the range ambient to 200° C., and having a reduction ratio lying in the range 2% to 20%; and subjecting said rolled flat product to an annealing treatment in the a range or in the α+β range, performed in the temperature range 500° C. to 800° C. for 2 minutes to 10 hours. A zirconium alloy flat product as obtained by the method, and a fuel assembly element for a power station nuclear reactor obtained by shaping the product.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.