This specification covers seamless wrought zirconium-alloy tubes for nuclear reactor fuel cladding application. Two grades of reactor grade zirconium alloys are described. Tubes covered by this specification shall be made from ingots produced by multiple vacuum arc or electron beam melting in furnaces of a type conventionally used for reactive materials. The tubes shall conform to the requirements for chemical composition prescribed. Recrsytallisation annealed tubes shall conform to the requirements for mechanical properties at room temperature prescribed. The tension test shall be conducted. Yield strength and tension properties shall be determined. Burst testing, when specified, shall be performed at room temperature on finished tubing.

1.1 This specification covers seamless wrought zirconium-alloy tubes for nuclear fuel cladding application, in the outside diameter (OD) size range of 0.200 in. (5.1 mm) to 0.650 in. (16.5 mm) and wall thickness range of 0.010 in. (0.25 mm) to 0.035 in. (0.89 mm).

1.2 Two grades of reactor grade zirconium alloys are described.

1.2.1 The present UNS numbers designated for the two grades are given in Table 1.

Grade

UNS Number

Zirconium-tin alloy

R60802

Zirconium-tin alloy

R60804

1.3 Unless a single unit is used, for example corrosion mass gain in mg/dm², the values stated in either inch-pound or SI units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system are not exact equivalents; therefore each system must be used independently of the other. SI values cannot be mixed with inch-pound values.

1.4 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the test method portions of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.