Observation and mechanism of hydride in zircaloy-4 and local hydride reorientation induced by high pressure at high temperatures

Hydrided Zircaloy-4 samples were produced by a gas charging method to levels that encompass the range of hydrogen concentrations observed in current used fuel. For low hydrogen content samples, the hydrided platelets appear elongated and needle-like, orientated in the circumferential direction. Mechanical testing was carried out by the ring compression method at various temperatures. Samples with higher hydrogen concentration resulted in lower strain before fracture and reduced maximum load. The trend between temperature and ductility was also very clear: increasing temperatures resulted in increased ductility of the hydrided cladding. A single through-wall crack was observed for a hydrided sample having very high hydrogen concentration under ring compression testing. For samples having lower hydrogen concentrations, the fracture surfaces traversed both circumferential and radial directions, and for which voids were observed near the hydrides. Mechanical tests to study hydride reorientation in these samples are under way, and the results will be reported in the near future.