Corrosion resistance of traditional and advanced fuel rod cladding materials for water-cooled reactors

Abstract

The available literature experimental data on corrosion resistance of traditional and advanced fuel rod cladding materials for water-cooled reactors are summarized. A review of zirconium alloys, which have proven themselves in operation for more than half a century, is presented. As noted, the research work is constantly being carried out to improve zirconium alloys by optimizing their composition, in particular, the amount of tin, niobium, iron and oxygen, as well as development of the new alloys. First of all, the direction of these works is stimulated by stringent nuclear energy requirements, including maximum safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness. At the same time, in the last decade, one of the main goals of researchers around the world is the development of nuclear fuel systems, which tolerate severe accidents. Another trigger for this was the accident in 2011 in Japan at the Fukushima-1 NPP.