Chemical interactions between ZrO2/α-Zr structured Zircaloy-4 and 316 stainless steel-B4C melt at 1300 °C

• During re-heating of pre-oxidized Zircaloy-4 under oxygen starvation, initial ZrO2 layer was partially dissolved, forming a new α-Zr layer at the external surface. • When pre-oxidized and then re-heated Zircaloy-4 contacted with 316SS-B4C melt, the reaction zone consisting of multiple sublayers gr...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

• During re-heating of pre-oxidized Zircaloy-4 under oxygen starvation, initial ZrO2 layer was partially dissolved, forming a new α-Zr layer at the external surface. • When pre-oxidized and then re-heated Zircaloy-4 contacted with 316SS-B4C melt, the reaction zone consisting of multiple sublayers grew approximately linearly with time. • Due to the presence of external α-Zr layer, pre-oxidized and then re-heated Zircaloy-4 showed no significant improvement in delaying ZrO2 dissolution and reaction zone formation under the current experimental conditions. Ausführliche Beschreibung