Biaxial creep performance of CWSR Zircaloy-4 cladding at emulated off-normal conditions of interim dry storage facility

Biaxial creep behavior of hydrided Zircaloy-4 cladding was tested at 500 °C. Creep-life was inversely proportional to H-concentration up to 750 wppm. The weakening through hydride reorientation of hydrided specimens was not observed by optical microscopy. The power-law stress exponents and the TEM observation supported the high-temperature climb mechanism dominated the creep behavior in secondary stage.