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AbstractAbstract
[en] This work is a contribution to the development of innovative concepts for fuel cladding in pressurized water nuclear reactors. This concept implies the insertion of rare earth (erbium and gadolinium) in the zirconium fuel cladding. The determination of phase equilibria in the systems is essential prior to the implementation of such a promising solution. This study consisted in an experimental determination of the erbium-zirconium phase diagram. For this, we used many different techniques in order to obtain diagram data such as solubility limits, solidus, liquidus or invariant temperatures. These data allowed us to present a new diagram, very different from the previous one available in the literature. We also assessed the diagram using the CALPHAD approach. In the gadolinium-zirconium system, we determined experimentally the solubility limits. Those limits had never been determined before, and the values we obtained showed a very good agreement with the experimental and assessed versions of the diagram. Because these alloys are subjected to oxygen diffusion throughout their life, we focused our attention on the erbium-oxygen-zirconium and gadolinium-oxygen-zirconium systems. The first system has been investigated experimentally. The alloys fabrication has been performed using powder metallurgy. In order to obtain pure raw materials, we fabricated powder from erbium and zirconium bulk metals using hydrogen absorption/desorption. The characterisation of the ternary pellets allowed the determination of two ternary isothermal sections at 800 and 1100 C. For the gadolinium-oxygen-zirconium system, we calculated the phase equilibria at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1100 C, using a homemade database compiled from literature assessments of the oxygen-zirconium, gadolinium-zirconium and gadolinia-zirconia systems. Finally, we determined the mechanical properties, in connexion with the microstructure, of industrial quality alloys in order to identify the influence of erbium content. We highlighted the hardening influence of erbium at 325 C. (author)
Original Title
Etude experimentale et thermodynamique des systemes erbium-oxygene-zirconium et gadolinium-oxygene-zirconium
Primary Subject
Source
Nov 2009; 254 p; CEA-R--6238; These grade de Docteur de l'Universite de Paris-12
Record Type
Report
Literature Type
Thesis/Dissertation
Report Number
Country of publication
CHEMICAL REACTIONS, DIAGRAMS, ELEMENTS, ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS, HEAT TREATMENTS, INFORMATION, KINETICS, MATERIALS, MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, METALS, NEUTRON ABSORBERS, NONMETALS, NUCLEAR POISONS, POWER REACTORS, RARE EARTHS, REACTION KINETICS, REACTOR MATERIALS, REACTORS, SEPARATION PROCESSES, THERMAL REACTORS, TRANSITION ELEMENTS, WATER COOLED REACTORS, WATER MODERATED REACTORS
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