Background technology
The reactor nuclear fuel assembly is the key part of reactor core, comprises guide pipe, the involucrum of fuel stick, upper end plug, lower end plug; the inside and outside band of assembling screen work etc.; major function is that the protection fuel pellet is not corroded by refrigerant, release energy, and the shielding hot material leaks.In operational process, nuclear fuel assembly need bear very high external and internal pressure, high temperature, fuel swelling, suction hydrogen and cause the threats such as crisp, bears simultaneously very strong water conservancy vibrating machine stress, and ability intense neutron flux and strong gamma-ray irradiation.Therefore, nuclear fuel assembly need meet many-sided performance requriementss such as metallurgy, heat transfer, machinery, as: the neutron-absorption cross-section that (1) is little, good irradiation stability; (2) enough room temperature mechanical intensity, high-temperature machinery intensity, can keep physical dimension stable; Harmful chemical reaction, do not occur with refrigerant, fission product and nuclear fuel in (3) corrosion resistance and good, can contain for a long time radioactive substance; (4) have good thermohydraulics and heat exchange characteristics.Zirconium is because its thermal neutron absorption cross section is very little, and has good high-temperature resistant water corrosive nature and mechanical property and be widely used and do the structured material of nuclear fuel assembly, and its application has also promoted the development of nuclear industry.
Nuclear industry with the zirconium alloy development so far, has experienced the three generations, and all in commercialization.
The first-generation is standard Zr-4 and Zr-2, and the fifties, Zr-2, Zr-4 alloy are used to the reactor nuclear fuel assembly, as the subassembly wrapper of BWR fuel assembly.
The s-generation is low tin Zr-4 and optimizes Zr-4.Wherein the tin content of low tin Zr-4 is adjusted to 1.20%~1.5% by 1.20%~1.7%, and carbon and silicon are controlled at respectively 0.008%~0.020% and 0.005%~0.012%; The Zr-4 optimized is on the basis of low tin Zr-4, and stricter control alloying constituent and processing parameter reduce batch standard deviation, and the homogeneity of material improves.This generation zirconium alloy is compared with first-generation zirconium alloy, has improved physical strength, and has improved corrosion resistance.
The third generation is the ZIRLO(Zr with Westinghouse Electric, 1.0Sn, 1.0Nb, 0.1Fe), Muscovite E635(Zr, 1.3Sn, 1.0Nb, 0.35Fe) etc. be the new zirconium alloy of representative, have good performance.Extensively be used as at present guide pipe, the fuel rod clad of fuel assembly.The physical strength of this generation zirconium alloy is not less than s-generation zirconium alloy, but it has had improvement further on corrosion resistance nature.
In order to utilize fully, economically nuclear energy, reactor operation should make the burnup [be again burn-up level, i.e. the nuclear energy summation of the nuclear fuel of unit mass generation, mean with megawatt-day per metric ton of uranium (MWd/tU)] of nuclear fuel as far as possible high as far as possible.Yet the too high meeting of burnup causes fuel element failure, fission product is overflowed.Therefore, if towards the security, the burnup that improve nuclear fuel, reduce nuclear fuel cycle cost, improve the future development of reactor thermo-efficiency, the performance of the material zirconium alloy of nuclear fuel assembly is had higher requirement, comprise corrosion resistance, hydrogen sucking function and irradiation dimensional stability etc., wherein corrosion resistance nature, room temperature mechanical intensity or high-temperature machinery intensity are the focuses of problem.
Although third generation zirconium alloy is better than the corrosion resistance nature of the low tin Zr-4 of s-generation alloy, on composition, be not optimized results, its corrosion resistance is difficult to meet high burnup, the anti-oxidant demand of (reloading as 18 months) under long-time working conditions; Oxide film excessively thickens and occurs that nodular corrosion can bring fuel rod clad structural failure, generation departure from nucleate boiling (departure from nucleate boiling, DNB) and involucrum to burn equivalent risk.
So urgently a kind of physical strength is high, corrosion resistance nature is better, for the zirconium-niobium alloy of reactor nuclear fuel assembly.
Summary of the invention
One object of the present invention is to provide that a kind of physical strength is high, the zirconium-niobium alloy of corrosion resistance and good.
For achieving the above object, the invention provides a kind of zirconium-niobium alloy for the reactor nuclear fuel assembly, it is characterized in that, the weight percent of described zirconium-niobium alloy of take is mete-wand, and described zirconium-niobium alloy is composed of the following components: 0.9%~1.1% Nb, 0.15%~0.35% Fe, 0.1%~0.16% O, and 0.004%~0.01% Cu, except inevitable impurity, surplus is Zr.
Preferably, the weight percent of described Nb is 0.9%~1.0%.
Preferably, the weight percent of described Fe is 0.15%~0.22%.
Preferably, the weight percent of described O is 0.1%~0.12%.
Preferably, the weight percent of described Cu is 0.004%~0.008%.
Particularly, described inevitable impurity comprises C and N.
Preferably, the weight percent of described C is less than 100ppm.
Preferably, the weight percent of described N is less than 80ppm.
Compared with prior art, the low tin Zr-4 alloy of the present invention to the s-generation, ZIRLO alloy, the E635 alloy of the third generation are optimized, by removing the Sn element, keep the Fe element of high level, and add micro-Cu, can obtain following beneficial effect: (1) has better corrosion resistance, significantly improve the oxidation-resistance in corrosive environment, reduced surrosion; (2) good mechanical properties, its room temperature and high-temperature machinery intensity all meet the requirement of nuclear fuel assembly; (3) burnup of nuclear fuel is higher, safety performance is better, and has reduced the cycle cost of nuclear fuel, has improved the thermo-efficiency of reactor; (4) reduced nuclear fuel assembly breakage rate, guaranteed the integrity of fuel rod clad, and then guaranteed reactor normally, efficiently, economically the operation; (5) can use domestic existing shop equipment to realize industrialized production, realized production domesticization, and yield rate be high, cost is lower.
Embodiment
Below will set forth the several different most preferred embodiments of the present invention.
Essence of the present invention is providing a kind of zirconium-niobium alloy for the reactor nuclear fuel assembly, the weight percent of zirconium-niobium alloy of take is mete-wand, comprise following composition: 0.9%~1.1% Nb, 0.15%~0.35% Fe, 0.1%~0.16% O, and 0.004%~0.01% Cu, except inevitable impurity, surplus is Zr.Wherein, Nb, Fe, O, Cu are strengthening element, in the present invention, the strengthening effect that these strengthening elements bring is enough, otherwise significantly strengthens zirconium-niobium alloy and reduce its toughness, and easily cracking makes good article rate descend in the extrusion process of pipe, damage equipment even, so zirconium-niobium alloy of the present invention is strictly controlled the content of each strengthening element.
Particularly, Nb can not only improve erosion resistance and physical strength or the creep-resistant property of zirconium alloy, can also reduce the absorption of Zr to hydrogen, eliminates the effect of micro-detrimental impurity (as C, Al, Ti).Preferably, the weight percent of Nb is 0.9%~1.0%.
Fe can delay zirconium-niobium alloy and corrode the time opening of " weight break point " in the high temperature water and steam, improves the corrosion resistance of zirconium-niobium alloy; In addition, the solubleness of Fe in Zr is very low, and intermetallic compound state (as the Fe3Zr) second-phase distributed mainly with small and dispersed plays strengthening effect to matrix, strengthens the physical strength of zirconium-niobium alloy.Preferably, the weight percent of Fe is 0.15%~0.22%.
By solution strengthening technique, O can improve the physical strength of alloy.Yet workability just reduces when adding oxygen in a large number.Therefore, the weight percent of O is preferably in 0.1%~0.12% scope.
Cu can improve the erosion resistance of zirconium-niobium alloy, especially when the amount added is less.Simultaneously, Cu has significant strengthening effect for the intensity of zirconium alloy.Therefore, the weight percent of Cu should be controlled at below 0.01%, and preferably, the weight percent of Cu is 0.004%~0.008%.
In above-mentioned zirconium-niobium alloy composition, C and N are the inevitable impurity from bringing raw material.Preferably, the weight percent of C is less than 100ppm, and the weight percent of N is less than 80ppm.One of ordinary skill in the art should be understood, and in zirconium-niobium alloy, may also comprise some other inevitable impurity from bringing raw material, and the existence of these impurity components can not cause disadvantageous effect to alloy of the present invention.
Zirconium (Zr) is the metal that a kind of solidity to corrosion is very strong, it at room temperature is difficult for oxidation, but along with temperature raises, easily form stable oxide compound, on the oxidation kinetics curve, have one from parabola shaped to linear " weight break point ", before this point, in Zr Surface Creation black, densification, be the non-stoichiometric zirconium white of protectiveness; The oxide film generated after weight break point, for the stoichiometry oxidation zirconium of white, loose non-protective, is easy to be platelet exfoliation.Therefore, corrosion-resistant, the oxidation susceptibility of Zr or zirconium tin niobium and zirconium-niobium alloy can be estimated with surrosion and " weight break point " on the oxidation kinetics curve.Surrosion, namely at a certain temperature sample because the weight that absorbs oxygen and increase represents the degree that oxidising process is carried out.The lower explanation corrosion resistance nature of surrosion value is better.
Zirconium-niobium alloy of the present invention can be used for designing and preparing the nuclear fuel assembly of s-generation Nuclear power plants and the use of generation Ⅲ nuclear power station, comprises guide pipe, the involucrum of fuel stick, upper end plug, lower end plug, the inside and outside band of assembling screen work etc.Low tin Zr-4 alloy to the s-generation, ZIRLO alloy, the E635 alloy of the third generation are optimized, by removing the Sn element, the Fe element that keeps high level, and add micro-Cu, can obtain following beneficial effect: (1) has better corrosion resistance, has significantly improved the oxidation-resistance in corrosive environment, has reduced surrosion; (2) good mechanical properties, its room temperature and high-temperature machinery intensity all meet the requirement of nuclear fuel assembly; (3) burnup of nuclear fuel is higher, safety performance is better, and has reduced the cycle cost of nuclear fuel, has improved the thermo-efficiency of reactor; (4) reduced nuclear fuel assembly breakage rate, guaranteed the integrity of fuel rod clad, and then guaranteed reactor normally, efficiently, economically the operation; (5) can use domestic existing shop equipment to realize industrialized production, realized production domesticization, and yield rate be high, cost is lower.
According to the following examples, can better understand the present invention, certainly can not limit with this interest field of the present invention, the equivalent variations of therefore doing according to the present patent application the scope of the claims, still belong to the scope that the present invention is contained.
Referring to table 1, wherein provided according to the one-tenth of four kinds of typical zirconium-niobium alloy materials of the present invention and be grouped into.
The composition of the zirconium-niobium alloy of table 1 embodiment 1 to 4
Having the zirconium-niobium alloy material formed in table 1 all prepares in accordance with the following steps: Nb, Fe, Cu, O are prepared burden by mass percentage and mix and be pressed into electrode with core level zirconium sponge with the form of master alloy, adopt vacuum consumable scratch start stove to carry out three meltings and make alloy pig.Alloy pig forges processing through 900~1100 ℃, through the β phase solid solution of 990~1150 ℃, also quench again, again through hot rolling, repeatedly cold rolling, process annealing and make the zirconium-niobium alloy tubing of corresponding composition carrying out the operation such as final annealing lower than 650 ℃, and be defined as the CZ2 compo pipe.The CZ2 compo pipe is of a size of: Φ 9.5mm, wall thickness 0.57mm.Particularly, the CZ2 compo pipe with embodiment 1 moiety is the CZ2-a compo pipe, and the CZ2 compo pipe with embodiment 2 moietys is the CZ2-b compo pipe, the like, no longer describe in detail.
The CZ2 compo pipe of 4 kinds of typical compositions that table 1 is listed carries out measuring mechanical property under room temperature and high temperature (385 ℃), each alloy pipe all adopts the arithmetical av of 5 test-results.Particularly, physical strength is higher, and tension, the bending strength that can offer fuel assembly are also larger, and safety performance is better.Accordingly, physical strength strengthens, and its unit elongation can decrease.Therefore, the physical strength that means zirconium-niobium alloy with yield strength, tensile strength and unit elongation.
The results are shown in table 2.
The mechanical strength properties of lower each CZ2 compo pipe of table 2 room temperature and high temperature (385 ℃)
Nuclear fuel assembly is higher to the requirement of mechanical strength of zirconium-niobium alloy, and at ambient temperature, yield strength is not less than 434MPa, and tensile strength is not less than 621MPa, and unit elongation is not higher than 26%; Under high temperature (385 ℃) condition, yield strength is not less than 226MPa, and tensile strength is not less than 325MPa, and unit elongation is not higher than 30%.The result that table 2 shows is as can be known, and the room temperature of CZ2-a, CZ2-b, CZ2-c and CZ2-d compo pipe and high-temperature machinery intensity all meet the requirement of nuclear fuel assembly.
Below will carry out the corrosion resistance test to the low tin Zr-4 compo pipe of CZ2-a of the present invention, CZ2-b, CZ2-c and CZ2-d compo pipe and the s-generation, the low tin Zr-4 compo pipe size compared is identical with the CZ2 compo pipe, and tests under the same conditions.Particularly, under following three kinds of etching conditions, implement the corrosion test of 200 days:
The first etching condition, 360 ℃/18.6MPa, pure water;
The second etching condition, 360 ℃/18.6MPa, 70ppm LiOH solution;
The third etching condition, 400 ℃/10.3MPa, water vapor.
In addition, Sabol etc. disclose the data of third generation zirconium alloy ZIRLO alloy under above-mentioned identical etching condition, come from document " Sabol; G.P.; Comstock, R.J., Weiner; R.A.; et al, In-reactor corrosion performance of ZIRLO TM and Zircaloy-4.Zirconium in the Nuclear Industry:Tenth International Symposium, ASTM STP1245; 1994,724-744 ".Nikulina etc. disclose the data of third generation zirconium alloy E635 alloy under above-mentioned identical etching condition, come from document " Nikulina; A.V.; Markelov; V.A.; Peregud; M.M., et al, Zirconium alloy E635as a material for fuel rod cladding and other components of VVER and RBMK cores.Zirconium in the Nuclear Industry:Eleventh International Symposium, ASTM STP1295,1996,785-804 ".
The Corrosion results of the low tin Zr-4 compo pipe of CZ2-a, CZ2-b, CZ2-c and CZ2-d compo pipe, the s-generation is listed in Fig. 1~3, and, in figure, also showed the corrosion data of third generation zirconium alloy ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe.As mentioned above; the oxide film generated after " weight break point " is the stoichiometry oxidation zirconium of white, loose non-protective; be easy to be platelet exfoliation, therefore use surrosion and " weight break point " on the oxidation kinetics curve to estimate the corrosion resistance nature of each compo pipe.
As shown in Figure 1, at 360 ℃/18.6MPa, under the pure water condition, " weight break point " all do not appear in CZ2 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe, and " weight break point " appearred in low tin Zr-4 compo pipe at 160 days, after " weight break point ", its surrosion sharply increases, and the loose zirconium white generated does not meet the requirement of nuclear fuel to physical strength yet.In addition, the CZ2-a compo pipe is 43mg/dm the surrosion of 200 days
2, be respectively 58.1%, 49.4% and 63.6% of low tin Zr-4 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe of contemporaneously.As can be seen here, under the first etching condition, CZ2 compo pipe of the present invention is better than the corrosion resistance of low tin Zr-4 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe.
As shown in Figure 2, at 360 ℃/18.6MPa, under 70ppm LiOH solution condition, " weight break point " all do not appear in CZ2 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe, and " weight break point " just appearred in low tin Zr-4 compo pipe at 100 days, after " weight break point ", its surrosion sharply increases, and in the time of 190 days, increases to 570.42mg/dm
2, far surpass the surrosion of other each compo pipes.As seen from the figure, the corrosion resistance nature of CZ2 compo pipe is compared the ZIRLO compo pipe and the E635 compo pipe also has fairly obvious advantage.Therefore, under the second etching condition, CZ2 compo pipe of the present invention is better than the corrosion resistance of low tin Zr-4 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe.
As shown in Figure 3, at 400 ℃/10.3MPa, under the water vapor condition, " weight break point " all do not appear in CZ2 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe, and " weight break point " appearred in low tin Zr-4 compo pipe in the time of 190 days.As seen from the figure, the corrosion resistance nature of CZ2 compo pipe is compared low tin Zr-4 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe and is had fairly obvious advantage, and as 200 days the time, the surrosion of CZ2-a is 72mg/dm
2, be respectively 48.0%, 32.7% and 33.2% of low tin Zr-4 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe of contemporaneously.Therefore, under the third etching condition, CZ2 compo pipe of the present invention is better than the corrosion resistance of low tin Zr-4 compo pipe, ZIRLO compo pipe and E635 compo pipe.