Zirconium alloys for a nuclear fuel cladding having a superior corrosion resistance by reducing an amount of alloying elements and methods of preparing a zirconium alloy nuclear fuel caldding using thereof

A method of preparing a zirconium alloy nuclear fuel cladding comprising:

• manufacturing an ingot by vacuum arc remelting the zirconium alloy comprising 0.2 to 0.5 wt % of niobium (Nb);
• 0.2 to 0.6 wt % of iron (Fe);
• 0.3 to 0.5 wt % of chromium (Cr);
• 0.1 to 0.15 wt % of oxygen (O);
• 0.008 to 0.012 wt % of silicon (Si) and a remaining amount of zirconium (Zr),
• a total amount of the niobium, the iron and the chromium being 1.1 to 1.2 wt %, and then cooling (Step 1);
• forging thus manufactured ingot in Step 1 (Step 2);
• solution heat treating the forged ingot and cooling (Step 3);
• hot processing by extruding the cooled ingot in Step 3 (Step 4);
• initially heat treating the extruded shell in Step 4 (Step 5);
• cold processing the heat treated and extruded shell in Step 5, the zirconium alloy nuclear fuel cladding being prepared by conducting intermediate heat treating (Step 6);
• and
• finally heat treating thus prepared zirconium alloy nuclear fuel cladding to prepare a nuclear fuel cladding (Step 7).