Patent ID: 7630470
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: C22C,C22F,G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating a flat product of zirconium alloy, comprising: one of preparing and casting a zirconium alloy ingot containing at least 95% by weight of zirconium, and including impurities and alloying elements; shaping the ingot in order to obtain a flat arrangement; subjecting the flat arrangement to a β quenching operation under conditions that are determined to obtain within the flat arrangement an acicular structure at an end of the β quenching; subjecting the flat arrangement, after the β quenching, to a rolling operation performed in a single rolling sequence without intermediate annealing, the rolling performed at a temperature lying in a range ambient to 200° C., with a reduction ratio lying in a range 2% to 20%; and subjecting the rolled flat arrangement to an annealing treatment in the α range or in the α+β range, performed in a temperature range 500° C. to 800° C. for 2 mm to 10 h.