Back to Search
Start Over
A role of electrons in zirconium oxidation
- Source :
- EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies, Vol 3, p 19 (2017)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- EDP Sciences, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Growing the oxide scale on the zirconium cladding of fuel elements in pressured-water reactors (PWR) is caused by the current of oxygen anions off the waterside to the metal through the layer of zirconia and by the strictly equal inverse electronic current. This process periodically speeds up the corrosion of the zirconium cladding in the aqueous coolant due to the breakaway of the dense part of oxide scale when its thickness reaches 2 mkm. It is shown that the electronic resistivity of zirconia is not limiting the zirconium oxidation at working temperatures. For gaining this limitation, a metal of lesser valence than zirconium has to be added to this oxide scale up to 15%. Then, oxygen vacancies arise in the complex zirconia, increase its band-gap, and thus, sharply decrease the electronic conductivity and form the solid oxide electrolyte whose growth is inhibited in contact with water at working temperatures of PWR.
- Subjects :
- Cladding (metalworking)
Zirconium
Materials science
Zirconium alloy
Oxide
chemistry.chemical_element
02 engineering and technology
Electrolyte
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Oxygen
lcsh:TK9001-9401
Corrosion
chemistry.chemical_compound
020303 mechanical engineering & transports
0203 mechanical engineering
chemistry
Chemical engineering
lcsh:Nuclear engineering. Atomic power
Cubic zirconia
0210 nano-technology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 24919292
- Volume :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....eb5a3bdaab49995f870c4b69aedbbee2