Delayed Hydride Cracking and Elastic Properties of Excel, a Candidate CANDU-SCWR Pressure Tube Materials

Abstract

Excel, a Zr alloy which contains 3.5%Sn, 0.8%Nb and 0.8%Mo, shows high strength, good corrosion resistance, excellent creep-resistance and dimension stability and thus is selected as a candidate pressure tube material for CANDU-SCWR. In the present work, the delayed hydride cracking properties (KIH and the DHC growth rates), the hydrogen solubility and elastic modulus were measured in the irradiated and unirradiated Excel pressure tube material.