The effect of hydrogen concentration on breakdown tangential deformation of thin walled Zircaloy-4 tubes of nuclear fuel elements

The Zy-4 tubes occlude exothermically the hydrogen during manufacture and during operational service in the presence of the high-temperature water used to extract heat from the nuclear reactor. The hydrogen precipitates in zirconium alloys as platelets of hydride, which can cause the embrittlement of the material. This paper presents the mechanical behavior of hydride Zy-4 thin walled tubes of nuclear fuel elements. (authors)