Effects of surface oxide film on massive hydriding of Zr alloy

Abstract

Oxide effects experiments on massive hydriding reactions of Zr alloy with hydrogen gas were carried out at 400°C under 1 atm in a H2 environment with a thermo-gravimetric apparatus (TGA). Experimental results for oxide effects on massive hydriding kinetics show that incubation time is not proportional to oxide thickness. The results also show that the massive hydriding kinetics of pre-filmed Zr alloys follows linear kinetic law and that the hydriding rates are similar to that of oxide-free Zr alloys once massive hydriding is initiated. Unlikely microstructure of the oxide during incubation time, physical defects such as micro-cracks and pores were observed in the oxide after incubation time. Therefore, it seems that the massive hydriding of Zr alloys can be ascribed to short circuit paths and mechanical or physical defects, such as micro-cracks and pores in the oxide, rather than to hydrogen diffusion through the oxide resulting from the increase of oxygen vacancies in the hypo-stoichiometric oxide.