Hydrogen Degassing of Zirconium under High-Vacuum Conditions

Abstract

Micromechanics techniques, such as nano-indentation and micro-pillar compression, can be applied to study hydrogen-charged zirconium alloys at elevated temperatures, which is highly relevant for the nuclear industry. Such experiments are often conducted inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) under high-vacuum conditions (10−5 mbar). The combination of a high-temperature and high-vacuum environment causes some hydrogen to escape from the sample into the chamber. Although this effect is evident at temperatures above 600 °C, the extent of hydrogen desorption at lower temperatures is still unclear. In the presented study, the desorption of hydrogen was assessed in zirconium cladding tube material under temperature and hydrogen content conditions comparable to those faced by used nuclear fuel during dry storage. The measured hydrogen loss due to the high vacuum was compared to the simulations obtained using an extended version of a hydrogen behavior tool developed at PSI.