Breakaway oxidation of zirconium alloys exposed to steam around 1000 °C

• DOI: 10.1016/j.corsci.2020.108936
• Publication Date: 2020-08-14T01:17:30Z
• Authors: Matthieu Le Saux; Jean-Christophe B...; Valérie Vandenberghe; Antoine Ambard; Raphaël Chosson
• Keywords: Zirconium alloy; High-Temperature Corrosion

Abstract The breakaway oxidation of Zircaloy-4 and M5Framatome alloys oxidized in flowing steam around 1000 °C was studied. The influences of oxidation temperature between 950 and 1050 °C, one-side versus two-side oxidation and chemical variations around the nominal composition of M5Framatome were investigated. Breakaway oxidation is sensitive to the oxidation temperature, the material and the oxidation type. A phenomenological mechanism for breakaway oxidation is postulated on the basis of microstructural and microchemical analyses.