Patent Number: 055240321
Section: abstract

A cladding tube having a cross-section and including (1) a zirconium alloy outer circumferential substrate having an inner surface and having one or more alloying elements, (2) a zirconium barrier layer bonded to the inner surface of the outer circumferential substrate and being alloyed with the one or more alloying elements, and (3) a zirconium alloy inner circumferential liner bonded to the inner surface of the zirconium barrier layer. The barrier layer will have a concentration profile including a diffusion layer extending from the barrier layer's inner surface (facing nuclear fuel) to the barrier layer's interior (between the barrier layer's inner and outer surfaces). At the interior edge of the diffusion layer, there will be substantially no alloying elements. At the outer edge of the diffusion layer (the barrier layer's inner surface), the maximum concentration of alloying elements will occur.