Back to results
US 4,902,625 AGranted
Rapid corrosion test for zirconium and zirconium alloy weldments
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsDonald W. Parker, Merle A. Parker, George P. Sabol, Isabel K. Lloyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is a method of rapidly and reproducibly checking the quality of zirconium base material welds and heat affected zones. In this method, weldment samples are immersed in an elevated temperature fused salt bath for a time period sufficient, at the bath temperature selected, to produce an essentially black oxide film in acceptable quality welds while producing a scaling oxide in unacceptable welds.
Claims16
A method of determining corrosion resistance of a zircaloy weld and heat affected zones comprising the steps of:
- (a) immersing said zircaloy weld and heat affected zones into a fused salt bath having a temperature above about 400.degree. C.;
- (b) controlling the temperature of said fused salt bath and duration of said immersion to produce an essentially black oxide film in corrosion resistant zircaloy weld and heat affected zones, while producing a white oxide scale in noncorrosion resistant zircaloy welds and heat affected zones;
- (c) removing said zircaloy weld and heat affected zones from said salt bath after said duration;
- and
- (d) evaluating the oxide produced on said zircaloy weld and heat affected zones for the presence of a white scaling oxide.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.