• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.93-98
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• 2000

Unpredictable failures can occur due to the DHC (delayed hydride cracking) or the degradation of fracture toughness by hydride embrittlement in CANDU pressure tube which can result from the absorption of hydrogen or deuterium in the high temperature coolant. To investigate the hydride embrittlement of CANDU Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube, the transverse tensile test and the fracture toughness test were performed from room temperature to $300^{\circ}C$ using three different specimens which have an AR (As Received), 100, and 200 ppm hydrogen. As the amount of absorbed hydrogen was increased, the transverse yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength were also increased. In addition, as the test temperature became higher they were decreased linearly. While, at room temperature, the hydrogenbsorbed specimens represented the embrittlement which resulted in sudden decreasing of fracture toughness, the fracture characteristics became ductile such as AR specimen at high temperatures. Through the observation of fracture surface using SEM, it was found that the stress state of mixed mode could be related to the fissure which was believed to decrease the global fracture toughness.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1192-1197
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• 2003

The aim of this study is to investigate the hydride embrittlement when the LBB evaluation is carried out for the integrity of PHWR Pressure Tubes. The transverse tensile and CCT tests were performed at three hydrogen concentrations while the test temperatures were changed (RT to $300^{\circ}C$). The specimens were directly machined from the pressure tube retaining original curvature. Both the transverse tensile and the fracture toughness tests showed the hydrogen embrittlement clearly at RT but this phenomenon was disappeared while the test temperature arrived over $250^{\circ}C$. Using the DHC test results, the CCL and LBB time were calculated and compared. The hydride embrittlement behavior at the LBB evaluation was definitely showed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.455-463
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• 2003

The aim of this study is to investigate the hydrogen embrittlement of Zr-2.5Nb CANDU pressure tube at room temperature. The transverse tensile and fracture toughness tests were performed at various hydrogen concentrations using transverse tensile specimens and CCT (curved compact tension) specimens. These specimens were directly machined from the pressure tube retaining original curvatures. Based on the results of these tests. the hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon was clearly observed and fracture toughness parameters of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube materials such as, $K_{J(0.2)}$.$J_{ML}$.dJ/da, were dramatically decreased with the increasement of the hydrogen concentration. From microscopic observation by SEM and TEM, it was also revealed that various shapes dimples, fissures and quasi-cleavage were found at the hydrogen-absorbed materials with hydrides while traditional shape dimples were generally located at the as-received materials Through the comparison of the hydride and fissure lengths with the hydrogen concentration the new evaluation method of hydrogen embrittlement was suggested.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 2020

This paper presents a study on the hydrogen embrittlement of Ti-6Al-4V alloys with different microstructures depending on annealing treatment. They were electrochemically charged with hydrogen and subjected to tensile tests to investigate hydrogen embrittlement behavior. Tensile test results showed that the elongation of Ti-6Al-4V alloy specimens was remarkably decreased with increasing the volume fraction of β phase after hydrogen charging. This is because the β phase with a relatively low diffusivity tends to easily form a hydride at grain boundaries during electrochemical hydrogen charging. After hydrogen charging of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy specimen, it found that silver particles were decorated mostly at the grain boundary, and coarser silver particles were usually formed in the specimen annealed at 950 ℃. Therefore, the specimen having higher β phase fraction shows a poor hydrogen embrittlement resistance because the β phase promotes the formation of coarse hydride during electrochemical hydrogen charging, which leads to a large decrease in ductility.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.610-616
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• 2004

The aim of this study was to investigate the hydride embrittlement when the LBB evaluation was carried out for the integrity of PHWR Pressure Tubes. The transverse tensile and CCT toughness tests were performed at three hydrogen concentrations while the test temperatures were changed (RT to 30$0^{\circ}C$). Both the transverse tensile and the fracture toughness tests showed the hydrogen embitterment clearly at RT but this phenomenon was disappeared while the test temperature arrived at 25$0^{\circ}C$. Using the DHC test results, the CCL and LBB time were calculated and compared. The hydride embrittlement at the LBB evaluation made the LBB time short definedly. If the operating temperature, DHCV and LBB deterministic parameters such as A and m were known, LBB time could be estimated without the calculation of CCL.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.1486-1494
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• 2020

To evaluate transport-induced cladding embrittlement after interim-dry storage, ring compression tests were carried out at room temperature(RT) and 135 ℃. The ring compression test specimens were prepared by simulating the interim-dry storage conditions that include four peak cladding temperatures of 250, 300, 350 and 400 ℃, two tensile hoop stresses of 80 and 100 MPa, two hydrogen contents of 250 and 500 wt.ppm-H and a cooling rate of 0.3 ℃/min. Radial hydride fractions of the ring specimens vary depending on those interim-dry storage conditions. The RT compression tests generated lower offset strains than the 135 ℃ ones. In addition, the RT and 135 ℃ compression tests indicate that a higher peak cladding temperature, a higher tensile hoop stress and the lower hydrogen content generated a lower offset strain. Based on the embrittlement criterion of 2.0% offset strain, an allowable peak temperature during the interim-dry storage may be proposed to be less than 350 ℃ under the tensile hoop stress of 80 MPa at the terminal cool-down temperature of 135 ℃.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.30 no.12 s.255
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• pp.1526-1533
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• 2006

The aim of this research was to confirm the existence of the thermal creep degradation by hydrides of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube materials. Small punch creep tests were performed to obtain the relationship between a creep displacement and a loading period at $300^{\circ}C$. A creep stress and a creep strain rate were also converted from the previous results. The creep material constants and the creep stress exponents at the different hydride contents were compared. Finally the hydrides of the axial and circumferential section were observed using OM, SEM and TEM. The following conclusions were made: 1) The degradation of the thermal creep by hydrides was existed and it strongly depended on the hydride contents. 2) As the hydride contents were increased, the creep stress exponents (m) were also increased. 3) Even though the hydride was not precipitated in 50 ppm materials at $300^{\circ}C$, the degradation of thermal creep was found. Therefore, it was believed that this phenomenon strongly related to the hydride precipitation at room temperature.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.266-273
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• 2004

The objective of this study is an understanding of stress corrosion cracking of metals that is recognized to mostly limit the lifetime of the structural materials by comparing the features of delayed hydride cracking of zirconium alloys with those of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Ni-based alloys and hydrogen cracking of stainless steels. To this end, we investigated a dependence of delayed hydride cracking (DHC) velocity on the applied stress intensity factor and yield strength, and correlated a temperature dependence of the striation spacing and the DHC velocity. We reviewed a similarity of the features between the DHC of zirconium alloys, the SCC of Ni-based alloys and turbine rotor steels, and the hydrogen cracking of stainless steels and discussed the SCC phenomenon in metals with our DHC mode.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2005

Mechanical properties of zirconium cladding were evaluated by ring tension test to simulate Reactivity-Initiated Accident (RIA) at high burnup situation as an out-reactor test. Zircaloy-4 cladding was hydrided up to 1000 ppm as well as oxidized up to $100\;{\mu}m$ to simulate high-burnup situation. After simulated high-burnup treatment, ring tension test was carried out from 0.01 to 1/sec to correlate with actual RIA event. The results showed that ductility and circumferential toughness decreased with the hydrogen content and oxide thickness. Hydride generated inside cladding acted as brittle failure. Oxygen influenced cladding tube by the reduction of load bearing area, oxygen embrittlement, and thermal aging. Correlation between in-reactor RIA parameter like fuel enthalpy and out-reactor toughness was performed and showed a reasonable result.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4499-4513
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• 2022

Spent fuel behavior of dry storage was simulated in a continuous state from steady-state operation by modifying FRAPCON-4.0 to incorporate spent fuel-specific fuel behavior models. Spent fuel behavior of a typical PWR was compared with that of NuScale Power Module (NPM^TM). Current PWR discharge burnup (60 MWd/kgU) gives a sufficient margin to the hoop stress limit of 90 MPa. Most hydrogen precipitation occurs in the first 50 years of dry storage, thereby no extra phenomenological safety factor is identified for extended dry storage up to 100 years. Regulation for spent fuel management can be significantly alleviated for LWR-based SMRs. Hydride embrittlement safety criterion is irrelevant to NuScale spent fuels; they have sufficiently lower plenum pressure and hydrogen contents compared to those of PWRs. Cladding creep out during dry storage reduces the subchannel area with burnup. The most deformed cladding outer diameter after 100 years of dry storage is found to be 9.64 mm for discharge burnup of 70 MWd/kgU. It may deteriorate heat transfer of dry storage by increasing flow resistance and decreasing the view factor of radiative heat transfer. Self-regulated by decreasing rod internal pressure with opening gap, cladding creep out closely reaches the saturated point after ~50 years of dry storage.