METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TUBULAR PRODUCTS FROM A ZIRCONIUM ALLOY

The invention is referred to manufacturing of zirconium alloy tubular products that can be used as cladding tubes in water-cooled nuclear reactors.The manufacturing method for zirconium alloy tubular products containing (% wt.): niobium - 0.9-1.7; iron- 0.10-0.20; oxygen - 0.10-0.20; silicon - less than 0.02, carbon - less than 0.02, zirconium - the alloy base, including the ingot melting by multiple vacuum arc remelting, mechanical processing of the ingot, heating, multi-stage hot forging for production of the forged piece, subsequent mechanical processing of the forged piece for production of tubular billets with vacuum thermal treatment, application of the protective coating and heating to the hot pressing temperature, hot pressing, removal of the protective coating, vacuum thermal treatment, multiple cold rolling with the total deformation degree of 58-74% per a run and the tubular coefficient of Q=1.18 - 2.01, with intermediate vacuum thermal treatment in order to produce tubular products, and the final vacuum thermal treatment is carried out at the final size with subsequent final finishing operations.The technical result is improved processibility of the material at all stages of hot and cold pressure shaping applied in the course of tubular product manufacturing as well as high corrosion resistance of the tubular products with stable characteristics of mechanical properties and deformation resistance.