Formation and Growth of Hydride Blisters in Zr-2.5Nb Pressure Tubes

Formation and Growth of Hydride Blisters in Zr-2.5Nb Pressure Tubes

Hydride blisters were formed on the outer surface of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube by a non- uniform steady thermal diffusion process. A thermal gradient was applied to the pressure tube with a heat bath kept at a temperature of 415$^{\circ}C$ and an aluminum cold finger cooled with flowing water of 15$^{\circ}C$. Optical microscopy and tree-dimensional laser profilometry were used to characterize the hydride blisters with different hydrogen concentrations and thermal diffusion time. Hydride blisters were expected to start at a hydrogen concentration of 30 - 70 ppm and a thermal diffusion time of 4 - 6$\times$10$^{5}$ sec. The hydride blister size increases with higher hydrogen concentrations and longer thermal diffusion time . Some of the samples revealed cracks on the hydride blisters. The ratio of hydride blister depth to height was estimated as approximately 8: 1.