TREATMENT PROCESS FOR A ZIRCONIUM ALLOY, ZIRCONIUM ALLOY RESULTING FROM THIS PROCESS AND PARTS OF NUCLEAR REACTORS MADE OF THIS ALLOY

    公开(公告)号:EP2943597A1

    公开(公告)日:2015-11-18

    申请号:EP13734487.5

    申请日:2013-01-11

    申请人: AREVA NP

    IPC分类号: C22C16/00 C22F1/18 G21C3/07

    摘要: Treatment process for a zirconium alloy, characterized in that it comprises the following steps : - a zirconium alloy ingot is prepared, the composition of which is: * 0.40% ≤ Nb ≤ 1.05%; * traces ≤ Sn ≤ 2%; * (0.5 Nb - 0.25)% ≤ Fe ≤ 0.50%; * traces ≤ Ni ≤ 0.10%; * traces ≤ (Cr + V)% ≤ 0.50%; * traces ≤ S ≤ 35 ppm; * 600 ppm ≤ O ≤ 2000 ppm, preferably 1200 ppm ≤ O ≤ 1600 ppm; * traces ≤ Si≤ 120 ppm; * traces ≤ C ≤ 150 ppm; the remaining being Zr and unavoidable impurities; - the ingot undergoes at least one reheating and hot shaping step, and possibly a reheating and quenching step following a hot shaping step; - optionally the hot-shaped ingot undergoes an annealing; - the hot-shaped and possibly annealed ingot undergoes at least one cycle of cold rolling-annealing steps; - the annealing of at least one of the cold rolling-annealing steps being performed at a temperature comprised between 600 °C and the lowest of either 700 °C or (710 - 20 x Nb %) °C, and the annealings of the other cold rolling-annealing steps, if any, being performed at a temperature not higher than 600 'Ό. Zr alloy so obtained, and part of a fuel assembly for a light water nuclear reactor made of it.