Pilipenko M. Physical ant Technological basis of the zirconium materials and hafnium creation technology for the cores of nuclear power plants

Object: processes of interaction of impurities with metals during their heating in high vacuum and under the effect of external factors. The purpose: development of physical and technological basis of creating of construction materials based on zirconium and hafnium for the cores of nuclear power plants and production of zirconium alloys ingots from domestic raw materials. Methods: electron beam melting in high and ultra-high vacuum, induction and arc melting, mass spectrometry, optical and electron microscopy, chemical, laser mass spectral and nuclear-physical methods of analysis; measurement of hardness, microhardness, mechanical tensile testing, measuring of the residual electrical resistivity, secondary-ion mass spectrometry. Results: The required vacuum conditions to improve the metal refining by physical methods are estimated. The investigation of physical and technological bases of obtaining of nuclear pure zirconium to meet the demanding of nuclear power acquired subsequent development. Physically substantiated and experimentally studied the behavior of metallic impurities in the process of refining of zirconium and hafnium by electron-beam melting in a high vacuum. Obtained nuclear pure zirconium and the influence of the purity of zirconium on its properties are investigated. Field of application: physics of solid state, radiation materials science