The influence of hydride on fracture toughness of recrystallized Zircaloy-4 cladding

In this work, RXA cladding tubes were hydrogen-charged to target hydrogen content levels between 150 and 800 wppm (part per million by weight). The strings of zirconium hydrides observed in the cross sections are mostly oriented in the circumferential direction. The fracture toughness of hydrided RXA Zircaloy-4 cladding was measured to evaluate its hydride embrittlement susceptibility. With increasing hydrogen content, the fracture toughness of hydrided RXA cladding decreases at both 25 °C and 300 °C. Moreover, highly localized hydrides (forming a hydride rim) aggravate the degradation of the fracture properties of RXA Zircaloy-4 cladding at both 25 °C and 300 °C. Brittle features in the form of quasi-cleavages and secondary cracks were observed on the fracture surface of the hydride rim, even for RXA cladding tested at 300 °C.