Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A zirconium-based alloy consisting essentially of:zirconium; andin addition to unavoidable impurities, by weight, from 0.02 to 1% iron, from 0.8% to 2.3% niobium, less than 2000 ppm tin, less than 2000 ppm oxygen, less than 80 ppm carbon, from 5 to 35 ppm sulphur and less than 0.25% chromium, wherein a ratio maintains a formula of (Nb−0.5%)/(Fe+Cr)<3. 2. A zirconium-based alloy according to claim 1, wherein the iron is 0.05% to 1%. 3. The zirconium-based alloy according to claim 1, wherein the niobium is from 0.8% to 1.1% by weight, the iron from 0.3% to 0.35% by weight, the tin from 0.15% to 0.20% by weight, the chromium from 0.01% to 0.1% by weight, the oxygen from 1000 to 1600 ppm, and the carbon from 34 to 80 ppm. 4. The zirconium-based alloy according to claim 1, where the oxygen is from 1000 to 1600 ppm.