Method of manufacturing zirconium alloy tubular products containing (wt. %): niobium—0.9-1.7; iron—0.04-0.10; oxygen—0.03-0.10; silicon—less than 0.02, carbon—less than 0.02, and zirconium—as the base of the alloy. This includes an ingot melting by multiple vacuum arc remelting, mechanical processing of the ingot, heating, hot working of the ingot, subsequent mechanical processing for the production of tubular billets, heat treatment of the tubular billets, application of a protective coating and heating to a hot pressing temperature, hot pressing, removal of the protective coating, multi-stage cold radial forging, vacuum thermal treatment, multiple cold rolling runs with a total deformation degree of 50-80-% per run and a tubular coefficient of Q=1.0-2.7 with intermediate vacuum thermal treatment after each cold rolling operation, and final vacuum thermal treatment of the resulting tubular products carried out at the final size with subsequent final finishing operations.

Method of manufacturing zirconium alloy tubular products containing (wt. %): niobium—0.9-1.7; iron—0.04-0.10; oxygen—0.03-0.10; silicon—less than 0.02, carbon—less than 0.02, and zirconium—as the base of the alloy. This includes an ingot melting by multiple vacuum arc remelting, mechanical processing of the ingot, heating, hot working of the ingot, subsequent mechanical processing for the production of tubular billets, heat treatment of the tubular billets, application of a protective coating and heating to a hot pressing temperature, hot pressing, removal of the protective coating, multi-stage cold radial forging, vacuum thermal treatment, multiple cold rolling runs with a total deformation degree of 50-80-% per run and a tubular coefficient of Q=1.0-2.7 with intermediate vacuum thermal treatment after each cold rolling operation, and final vacuum thermal treatment of the resulting tubular products carried out at the final size with subsequent final finishing operations.

Manufacturing method for tubular products made of zirconium-based alloy includes melting an ingot by multiple vacuum arc remelting, mechanical processing of the ingot, heating, multi-stage hot forging of the ingot for production of a forged piece, subsequent mechanical processing of the forged piece for production of the a round-profile blank, manufacturing of tubular billets, their quenching and tempering, application of a protective coating, heating to a hot pressing temperature, hot pressing, removal of the protective coating, vacuum thermal treatment, multiple cold rolling steps in order to produce tubular products, with intermediate vacuum thermal treatment after each cold rolling, and a final vacuum thermal treatment being carried out at a final size with subsequent final finishing operations. The tubular products can be used as the structural components of a core in water-cooled nuclear reactors. The method can provide increased processibility, high strength, and corrosion resistance of tubular products.

Manufacturing method for tubular products made of zirconium-based alloy includes melting an ingot by multiple vacuum arc remelting, mechanical processing of the ingot, heating, multi-stage hot forging of the ingot for production of a forged piece, subsequent mechanical processing of the forged piece for production of the a round-profile blank, manufacturing of tubular billets, their quenching and tempering, application of a protective coating, heating to a hot pressing temperature, hot pressing, removal of the protective coating, vacuum thermal treatment, multiple cold rolling steps in order to produce tubular products, with intermediate vacuum thermal treatment after each cold rolling, and a final vacuum thermal treatment being carried out at a final size with subsequent final finishing operations. The tubular products can be used as the structural components of a core in water-cooled nuclear reactors. The method can provide increased processibility, high strength, and corrosion resistance of tubular products.

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. The method includes melting an ingot 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 a protective coating, heating to a hot pressing temperature, hot pressing, removal of the protective coating, vacuum thermal treatment, multiple cold rolling steps with a total deformation degree of 58-74% per run and a tubular coefficient of Q=1.18-2.01, with intermediate vacuum thermal treatment in order to produce tubular products, and final vacuum thermal treatment being carried out at the final size with subsequent final finishing operations.

This thermoelectric conversion module is formed by electrically connecting, by a conductive member, one end of an n-type thermoelectric conversion element having a negative Seebeck coefficient and having a half-Heusler structure to one end of a p-type thermoelectric conversion element containing an oxide having a positive Seebeck coefficient at a temperature of 25° C. or higher. The conductive member is connected to the n-type thermoelectric conversion element and the p-type thermoelectric conversion element through a connection layer containing a conductive metal comprising silver, and the connection layer is characterized by further containing an oxide to reduce the bond resistance between the n-type thermoelectric conversion element and/or the p-type thermoelectric conversion element.

A process for producing a metal alloy balance wheel by molding includes a) making a mold in the negative shape of the balance wheel; b) obtaining a metal alloy that has a thermal expansion coefficient of less than 25 ppm/° C. and is able to be in an at least partly amorphous state when it is heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature; c) putting the metal alloy into the mold, the metal alloy being heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature so as to be hot-molded and to form a balance wheel; d) cooling the metal alloy to obtain a balance wheel made of the metal alloy; and e) releasing the balance wheel obtained in step d) from its mold. The process also includes a step for over-molding flexible centering components in the hub.

Identifying a stable phase of a binary alloy comprising a solute element and a solvent element. In one example, at least two thermodynamic parameters associated with grain growth and phase separation of the binary alloy are determined, and the stable phase of the binary alloy is identified based on the first thermodynamic parameter and the second thermodynamic parameter, wherein the stable phase is one of a stable nanocrystalline phase, a metastable nanocrystalline phase, and a non-nanocrystalline phase. In different aspects, an enthalpy of mixing of the binary alloy may be calculated as a first thermodynamic parameter, and an enthalpy of segregation of the binary alloy may be calculated as a second thermodynamic parameter. In another example, a diagram delineating a plurality of regions respectively representing different stable phases of at least one binary alloy is employed, wherein respective regions of the plurality of regions are delineated by at least one boundary determined as a function of at least two thermodynamic parameters associated with grain growth and phase separation of the at least one binary alloy.

Identifying a stable phase of a binary alloy comprising a solute element and a solvent element. In one example, at least two thermodynamic parameters associated with grain growth and phase separation of the binary alloy are determined, and the stable phase of the binary alloy is identified based on the first thermodynamic parameter and the second thermodynamic parameter, wherein the stable phase is one of a stable nanocrystalline phase, a metastable nanocrystalline phase, and a non-nanocrystalline phase. In different aspects, an enthalpy of mixing of the binary alloy may be calculated as a first thermodynamic parameter, and an enthalpy of segregation of the binary alloy may be calculated as a second thermodynamic parameter. In another example, a diagram delineating a plurality of regions respectively representing different stable phases of at least one binary alloy is employed, wherein respective regions of the plurality of regions are delineated by at least one boundary determined as a function of at least two thermodynamic parameters associated with grain growth and phase separation of the at least one binary alloy.

A cladding tube, a fuel rod and a fuel assembly are disclosed. The cladding tube comprises a tubular base component having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an inner space of the cladding tube housing a pile of fuel pellets. The tubular base component is made of a Zr-based alloy. A coating is applied onto the outer surface for protecting the tubular base component from mechanical wear, oxidation and hydriding. The Zr-based alloy has the following composition: Zr=balance, Al=0-2 wt %, Ti=0-20 wt %, Sn=0-6 wt %, Fe=0-0.4 wt %, Nb=0-0.4 wt %, O=200-1800 wtppm, C=0-200 wtppm, Si=0-200 wtppm, and S=0-200 wtppm. The total amount of Al+Ti+Sn>2.5 wt % and ≤28 wt %.