The growth of oxide and oxygen-stabilized alpha layers in steam-oxidized zircaloy

Experimental investigations of the oxidation of Zircaloy in steam at high temperatures suggest temperature gradients exist across the oxide and oxygen-stabilized α layers even when specimens are exposed under nominally isothermal conditions. This paper presents a simple model that permits one to calculate the ratio of the thickness, of the oxide to oxygen-stabilized α layers in the presence of temperature gradients as well as under truly isothermal exposure conditions. The shape of the oxide to oxygen-stabilized α thickness ratio curve as a function of temperature was found to be in excellent agreement with oxidation kinetics data that were used to derive a scaling factor for the model. Variations in the temperature dependence of this ratio from independent measurements can be reproduced if it is assumed that temperature differences on the order of 10°C exist between the oxide layer and the oxygen-stabilized α layer. Metallographic evidence is presented that suggests the rate-controlling oxidation step occurs in the vicinity of the interface between the oxide and oxygen-stabilized a layers