Evaluation of oxides formed at high temperatures in Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubing

The oxidation behavior of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube samples has been studied at four different temperatures, i.e., 400°, 600°, 800°, and 1000°C. The amount of tetragonal phase is found to decrease with increase of temperature. The oxide texture of (002)_m and (111)_m type increased with the temperature from 400°C to 600°C, however at temperatures above 600°C the texture strength seems to diminish and the oxide layer becomes structurally unstable. Further, the impedance response is found to be dependent on the microstructure of the oxide film. For the sample oxidized at 400°C, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) spectra exhibited a two-time constant behavior, showing the formation of two-layer oxide film on the Zr-2.5Nb alloy, which correspond to a porous outer oxide and a barrier inner oxide, respectively. In addition, the samples were oxidized at constant temperature of 600°C with varying oxidation time. The observation shows that the oxide is more protective in the early stage of oxide growth. However, further growth of oxide film has resulted in degeneration of its protective character. (author)