The fabrication of bulk delta-phase Zirconium Hydride (δ-ZrH) using Zircaloy-4 as a precursor is herein reported. Characterization using electron-microscopy methods indicate that the fabricated material is of a single-phase. Sn-rich segregation zones have been observed to form as a direct result of the hydriding process. These findings experimentally validate previous \textit{ab initio} calculations on the influence H incorporation in Zircaloy-4 constitutional elements such as Sn, Fe and Cr. The effect of hydriding and Sn segregation on pre-existing Zr(Fe,Cr)2 Laves phases is also evaluated. Major implications on the development of moderators for use in microreactors within the nuclear industry are discussed.
@article{arxiv.2305.02249,
title = {Fabrication of bulk delta-phase Zirconium Hydride from Zircaloy-4 for use as moderators in microreactors},
author = {D. Parkison and M. A. Tunes and T. J. Nizolek and T. A. Saleh and P. Hosemann and C. A. Kohnert},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.02249},
year = {2024}
}