High temperature zirconium alloys for fusion energy
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This review considers current Zr alloys and opportunities for advanced zirconium alloys to meet the demands of a structural material in fusion reactors. Zr based materials in the breeder blanket offer the potential to increase the tritium breeding ratio above that of Fe, Si and V based materials. Current commercial Zr alloys might be considered as a material in water-cooled breeder blanket designs, due to the similar operating temperature to fission power plants. For breeder blankets designed to operate at higher temperatures, current commercial Zr alloys will not meet the high temperature strength and thermal creep requirements. Hence, Zr alloys with an operational temperature capability beyond that of current commercial fission alloys have been reviewed, specifically: binary Zr alloy systems Zr-Al, Zr-Be, Zr-Cr, Zr-Nb Zr-Ti, Zr-Si, Zr-Sn, Zr-V and Zr-W; as well as higher order Zr alloys Zr-Mo-Ti, Zr-Nb-Ti, Zr-Ti-Al-V and Zr-Mo-Sn. It is concluded that, with further work, higher order Zr alloys could achieve the required high temperature strength, alongside ductility, while maintaining a low thermal neutron cross-section. However, there is limited data and uncertainty regarding the structural performance and microstructural stability of the majority of advanced Zr alloys for temperatures 500–700 °C, at which they would be expected to operate for helium- and liquid metal-cooled breeder blanket designs.
Date Issued
2022-02-01
Date Acceptance
2021-11-22
Citation
Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2022, 559, pp.1-27
ISSN
0022-3115
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
1
End Page
27
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume
559
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (E
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000793141400004&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
PO 2073974
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nuclear Science & Technology
Materials Science
Zirconium alloys
Tritium breeder
High temperature materials
HIGH-ENTROPY ALLOYS
BETA-PHASE STABILITY
MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES
HIGH-STRENGTH
MICROSTRUCTURE EVOLUTION
THERMODYNAMIC ASSESSMENT
IRRADIATION DAMAGE
TENSILE PROPERTIES
HEAT-TREATMENT
ALPHA-PHASE
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 153431
Date Publish Online
2021-12-02