Method for the production of a semi-finished product made of zirconium alloy for the production of a flat product and use thereof

Abstract

A large ingot is produced by casting the zirconium alloy, then the ingot is forged to obtain the semi-finished product wherein the semi-finished product can be a slab for production of a flat product is produced from the large cast ingot in a single forging operation at a temperature at which the zirconium alloy is in a state comprising both the crystalline α and β phases of the alloy.

1 - 5 . (canceled)  
   
   
       6 . A method for production of a semi-finished product made of zirconium alloy containing by weight at least 97% zirconium, intended for the production of flat products, comprising: 
 producing an ingot with a diameter between 400 mm and 800 mm and a length between 2 m and 3 m by casting the zirconium alloy;    forging the ingot of the semi-finished product in the form of a slab with a thickness of approximately 100 mm and intended to be hot rolled then cold rolled to obtain a flat product of a thickness between 0.2 mm and 4 mm, wherein the slab is produced from the ingot by a single forging operation at a temperature at which the zirconium alloy is in a state comprising the crystalline α and β phases of the zirconium alloy.    
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein at the forging temperature the ingot contains a volume proportion of zirconium alloy in the α phase between 10% and 90%, a remainder of the zirconium alloy of the ingot being in the β phase.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the forging of the zirconium alloy in the α and β phase is performed at a temperature between 850° C. and 950° C.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the zirconium alloy contains at least 3% by weight in total of additive elements comprising at least one of the elements tin, iron, chromium, nickel, oxygen, niobium, vanadium and silicon, a remainder of the alloy being constituted by zirconium with an exception of inevitable impurities.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein during production of the slab a flat product of a thickness between 0.2 mm and 4 mm is produced for a nuclear fuel assembly.