Zirconium tube material characteristics

Excellent corrosion resistance:

Zirconium tubes have excellent resistance to many corrosive media, such as acid, alkali, salt solution, etc. In various corrosive environments in the chemical industry, they can be used stably for a long time and are not easily corroded. Their acid resistance is better than titanium and various steels. They are also quite stable in alkaline solutions, and their corrosion resistance is close to that of tantalum metal.

Low thermal neutron capture cross section:

Zirconium has a very small thermal neutron capture cross section. This nuclear physics property makes it important in the nuclear industry. As a structural material for the core of a nuclear reactor and a cladding material for nuclear fuel assemblies, it can effectively reduce neutron absorption and ensure the normal progress of nuclear reactions.

Good high temperature resistance:

Zirconium tubes have a high melting point. The melting point of pure zirconium can reach 1852℃. They can maintain stable physical and chemical properties in high temperature environments and can withstand the high temperature during nuclear fission in nuclear reactors and the high temperature process conditions in chemical production.

High strength and good mechanical properties:

Zirconium tubes have high strength, hardness and good toughness. After alloying and processing technology optimization, their tensile strength, yield strength and other mechanical properties can be further improved. They can withstand greater pressure and stress, are not prone to deformation and rupture, and can better withstand mechanical stress under harsh working conditions when used in aerospace, nuclear industry and other fields.

Excellent radiation resistance:

In a nuclear radiation environment, zirconium tubes can maintain good stability, have excellent radiation growth resistance, and are not prone to performance degradation or structural damage due to long-term radiation, ensuring safe and reliable operation in strong radiation environments such as nuclear reactors.

Zirconium tube production process

Extrusion molding: After the zirconium blank is heated to a certain temperature, it is placed in an extruder and extruded through a die under pressure to form a zirconium tube of the desired size and shape. This method can produce zirconium tubes of various specifications, which can effectively improve the internal structure and performance of the zirconium tube and increase the density, but it is more difficult to produce zirconium tubes with complex shapes.
Rolling forming: The zirconium billet is rolled by a rolling mill, so that it gradually deforms into a zirconium tube under the action of the roller. The rolled zirconium tube has good surface quality, high dimensional accuracy, and relatively high production efficiency, which is suitable for large-scale production of thin-walled zirconium tubes.

Application fields of zirconium tubes

Nuclear industry:

Zirconium tubes are the key cladding materials for nuclear fuel assemblies in nuclear reactors. They are also used to manufacture reactor internal structural components, such as control rod guide tubes and grids.

Chemical industry:

Zirconium tubes are widely used in the manufacture of corrosion-resistant heat exchangers, reactor inner tubes, distillation tower packings, valves, pump casings and other chemical equipment components.
In the crude oil refining process of the petrochemical industry, zirconium tube heat exchangers can resist the corrosion of impurities such as sulfur and acid in crude oil and improve heat exchange efficiency; in the reaction equipment of the pharmaceutical, pesticide, fragrance and other industries of fine chemicals, they can also stably withstand specific acid-base environments and temperature conditions to ensure smooth reactions.

Aerospace field:

The application of new zirconium tubes in high-temperature parts of aerospace engines is increasing. Its high strength and good high-temperature resistance enable it to better withstand the huge mechanical stress in the high-temperature and high-pressure environment of the engine, ensuring the safe and reliable operation of engine parts.

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