Zircaloy alloys
Materials for the cladding tubes of pressurized-water reactors

Details of the chemical composition of the main commercial alloys and grades studied (before being discontinued (in italics)) in the "Zircaloys" family (see Box 2) are given respectively in Table for the main alloying elements, and in Table for unavoidable impurities.

• Tin and oxygen, at the levels envisaged in these alloys, are fully soluble in the α-phase of Zirconium. Whereas Iron and Chromium, which have a much lower solubility limit of – 25 and 75 ppm respectively [3], form hexagonal-structured...