Patent ID: 7364631

Claim:
A process for thermomechanical transformation of a product made of a zirconium-based alloy having a high resistance to corrosion and to hydriding by water and steam, the alloy comprising: at least 95% by weight zirconium; from 0.01 to 0.05% by weight sulphur; at least one of the elements of a group consisting of tin, iron, chromium, hafnium, niobium, nickel, vanadium and oxygen; at least one of the additional elements of a group consisting of carbon, silicon, phosphorous, bismuth and tungsten; at least one zirconium-sulphur-containing compound; and a balance of the alloy containing inevitable impurities; wherein the tin is from 1.2 to 1.7% by weight, the iron is from 0.18 to 0.24% by weight, the chromium is from 0.07 to 0.13% by weight, and the oxygen is from 0.08 to 0.2% by weight, wherein the zirconium-sulphur-containing compound is Zr 2 SC, the product obtained by casting comprising: performing annealing treatment to solutionize the sulphur in a β-phase of the alloy at a temperature above a sulphur solubility limit; and quenching the product after annealing from the β-phase solutionizing temperature.