Creep and creep fracture of zirconium and zirconium alloys

The creep and creep failure mechanisms for zirconium and zirconium alloys have not been established, yet these properties are required to establish safe conditions for the interim dry storage of spent nuclear fuel. The purpose of this research, then, is to determine the relevant creep and creep fracture mechanisms controlling the deformation and failure of zirconium and zirconium alloys at elevated temperatures. Currently, the maximum allowable temperatures for the storage of spent nuclear fuel are defined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission based on a limited set of experimental data. Recent changes in regulations will be evaluated and recommendations made regarding their applicability. Various studies in the past have reported that zirconium and zirconium alloys exhibit anomalous creep properties. A detailed analysis of the creep properties of zirconium and zirconium alloys is presented based on an extensive literature review. Next, developments in creep fracture phenomena in engineering materials over the past several decades will be discussed and related to the creep fracture of zirconium alloys. As will be discussed, the mechanism for plasticity can be intimately tied to the fracture mechanism. The results of uniaxial creep tests on zirconium at temperatures of 350–700°C and stresses of 8–70 MPa and uniaxial creep tests on Zircaloy-2 at temperatures of 300–600°C and stresses of 24–382 MPa and subsequent microstructural investigation using a scanning electron microscope will be discussed, particularly as relevant to the fracture mechanisms for this alloy.