The influence of heating modes on heat-resistance of Zr and the Zr–1% Nb alloy

Keywords

zirconium, oxidation resistance, activation energy, hardness.

Cite as

Trush V. S., Pohrelyuk I. M., Luk’yanenko O. G., Kravchyshyn T. M., and Fedirko V. M. The influence of heating modes on heat-resistance of Zr and the Zr–1% Nb alloy. Physicochemical Mechanics of Materials. 2023. 59(2), 17-23.

https://doi.org/10.15407/pcmm2023.02.017

Abstract

Differences in the oxidation kinetics of zirconium and Zr–1% Nb alloy during heating in air depending on the heating rate, temperature and duration of exposure are revealed. It is shown that increase in the heating rate from 2.5 to 6 and 7.5°С/min reduces the activa­tion energy of the Zr oxidation process in the temperature range of 20–1000°С from 70.2 to 67 and 52.7 kJ/mol, respectively. For the Zr–1% Nb zirconium alloy, increase in the heating rate from 5 to 10 and 20°С/min causes an increase in the activation energy of the oxidation process from 65 to 70.1 and 78.5 kJ/mol, respectively. It is shown that such an increase in the heating rate (of zirconium from 2.5 to 7.5°С/min, and of the Zr–1% Nb alloy from 5 to 20°С/min) causes a decrease in the thickness of the ZrO₂ oxide film. During isothermal exposure for 5 h at 750°С, the Zr–1% Nb alloy and Zr at a temperature of 800°С are oxidized according to the parabolic law. At 800°C the Zr–1% Nb alloy oxidizes according to the combined law: first, parabolic, and then quasi-linear.

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