Crystal structure of the ZrO phase at zirconium/zirconium oxide interfaces

Journal article

© 2014 Rebecca J. Nicholls, Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA. Zirconium-based alloys are used in water-cooled nuclear reactors for both nuclear fuel cladding and structural components. Under this harsh environment, the main factor limiting the service life of zirconium cladding, and hence fuel burn-up efficiency, is water corrosion. This oxidation process has recently been linked to the presence of a sub-oxide phase with well-defi ned composition but unknown structure at the metal-oxide interface. In this paper, the combination of first-principles materials modeling and high-resolution electron microscopy is used to identify the structure of this sub-oxide phase, bringing us a step closer to developing strategies to mitigate aqueous oxidation in Zr alloys and prolong the operational lifetime of commercial fuel cladding alloys.

Authors: Nicholls, R; Ni, N; Lozano-Perez, S; London, A; McComb, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Advanced Engineering Materials
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 211-215
• Publication date: 2014-06-27
• Acceptance date: 2014-04-29
• DOI: 10.1002/adem.201400133
• EISSN: 1527-2648
• ISSN: 1438-1656