Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A zirconium-base alloy for nuclear reactors, comprising: 0.5-2 wt. % Sn,  0.07-0.6 wt. % Fe,  0.03-0.2 wt. % Ni,  0.05-0.2 wt. % Cr, the balance being zirconium and unavoidable impurities,  wherein the zirconium-base alloy has an Fe content X, in weight percent, and precipitates having a mean size Y, in nanometers,  and further wherein  the Fe content of the zirconium-base alloy and the mean size of the precipitates in the zirconium-base alloy simultaneously satisfy each of the following relationships:  i) Yxe2x89xa7xe2x88x92444xc3x97X+154;  ii) Yxe2x89xa6910xc3x97Xxe2x88x9246;  iii) Yxe2x89xa70;  iv) Yxe2x89xa6300; and  v) Xxe2x89xa60.6. 2. The zirconium-base alloy for nuclear reactors according to  claim 1 , wherein: claim 1 the relationship i) is Yxe2x89xa7xe2x88x92989xc3x97X+362. 3. A zirconium-base alloy for nuclear reactors, comprising: 0.5-2 wt. % Sn,  0.07-0.6 wt. % Fe,  0.03-0.2 wt. % Ni,  0.05-0.2 wt. % Cr, with the balance being zirconium and unavoidable impurities,  wherein the zirconium-base alloy has an Fe content X, in weight percent, and an annealing parameter Y (xcexa3Ai);  and further wherein  the Fe content and the annealing parameter of the zirconium-base alloy simultaneously satisfy each of the following relationships:  i) 30+1.6xc3x9710 7  exp (0.7xc3x97log (Y))xe2x89xa7xe2x88x92444xc3x97X+154;  ii) 30+1.6xc3x9710 7 xc3x97exp (0.7xc3x97log (Y))xe2x89xa6910xc3x97Xxe2x88x9246;  iii) Yxe2x89xa71xc3x9710 xe2x88x9221  iv) Yxe2x89xa61xc3x9710 xe2x88x9215 ; and  v) Xxe2x89xa60.6. 4. The zirconium-base alloy for nuclear reactors according to  claim 3 , wherein relationship i) is claim 3 30+1.6xc3x9710 7 xc3x97exp(0.7xc3x97log (Y))xe2x89xa7xe2x88x92989xc3x97X+362. 5. A nuclear reactor component comprising a zirconium-base alloy as claimed in  claim 1 . claim 1 6. The nuclear reactor component according to  claim 5 , which is a fuel cladding tube for use in a fuel assembly, a spacer band, spacer cells, or a water rod. claim 5