النيوبيوم سبائك الزركونيوم

The zirconium alloy formed by adding niobium element to the zirconium base is a nuclear engineering material with excellent performance. According to the different uses in the reactor, the content of niobium in zirconium also changes. The more mature zirconium-niobium alloys include zr-1Nb alloy, zr-2.5Nb alloy and Zr-2.5Nb-0.5Cu alloy. The zr-1Nb alloy is used as the fuel element cladding material, the Zr-2.5Nb alloy is used as the heavy water reactor pressure tube material, and the Zr-2.5Nb-0.5Cu alloy is used as the spacer ring material between the pressure tube and the container tube.

Introduction
Niobium-zirconium alloy refers to an alloy composed of metallic niobium and metallic zirconium. The most important niobium-zirconium alloy is Nb-1Zr alloy.

Features
Zirconium mainly exists in a solid solution state in niobium alloys. When trace amounts of oxygen and carbon are present, or trace amounts of carbon are added, a small amount of carbides and oxides will disperse and precipitate. Adding zirconium to niobium can improve the strength of the alloy without affecting the plasticity and processing properties of the alloy. Zirconium can also improve the oxidation resistance and alkali metal corrosion resistance of the alloy.


Preparation method
According to the requirements for its performance and purity of interstitial impurities (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen) during use, Nb-1Zr alloy is produced by consumable electric arc furnace, electron beam furnace or a combined melting process of both to produce alloy ingots. For products with lower purity requirements, niobium powder and zirconium powder can also be mixed and pressed and sintered into alloy ingots.

Process
The smelted alloy ingots need to be hot extruded or hot forged to form a billet, and then processed by forging, rolling, etc., to be made into various profiles. Powder sintered ingots can be directly processed into materials.

application
Nb-1Zr alloy is the most widely used niobium alloy. It is a low-strength niobium alloy with good processing and welding properties. It is mainly used in aerospace, atomic energy reactors, new electric light source sodium lamps and other application fields.