Effect of hydrogenation conditions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of zirconium hydride

牟田 浩明*; 西金 遼二*; 安藤 祐介*; 松永 純治*; 坂本 寛*; Harjo, S.   ; 川崎 卓郎   ; 大石 佑治*; 黒崎 健*; 山中 伸介*

Muta, Hiroaki*; Nishikane, Ryoji*; Ando, Yusuke*; Matsunaga, Junji*; Sakamoto, Kan*; Harjo, S.; Kawasaki, Takuro; Oishi, Yuji*; Kurosaki, Ken*; Yamanaka, Shinsuke*

Precipitation of brittle zirconium hydrides deteriorate the fracture toughness of the fuel cladding tubes of light water reactor. In the present study, to elucidate relationship between mechanical properties and microstructure, two -phase zirconium hydrides and one -phase zirconium hydride were carefully fabricated considering volume changes at the metal-to-hydride transformation. The -hydride that was fabricated from -zirconium exhibits numerous inner cracks due to the large volume change. Analyses of the neutron diffraction pattern and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data show that the sample displays significant stacking faults in the plane and in the pseudo-layered microstructure. On the other hand, the -hydride sample fabricated from -zirconium at a higher temperature displays equiaxed grains and no cracks.