Editing Zirconium (section)

=== Nuclear applications ===

Cladding for nuclear reactor fuels consumes about 1% of the zirconium supply,<ref name="Ullmann" /> mainly in the form of [[zircaloy]]s. The desired properties of these alloys are a low neutron-capture [[neutron cross-section|cross-section]] and resistance to corrosion under normal service conditions.<ref name="madehow">{{cite web |title= Zirconium |work= How Products Are Made |publisher= Advameg Inc. |date= 2007 |url=http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Zirconium.html |access-date= 2008-03-26}}</ref><ref name="CRC2008" /> Efficient methods for removing the hafnium impurities were developed to serve this purpose.<ref name="Stwertka" />

One disadvantage of zirconium alloys is the reactivity with water, producing [[hydrogen]], leading to degradation of the [[nuclear fuel#Common physical forms of nuclear fuel|fuel rod cladding]]:<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Motta |first1=Arthur T. |last2=Capolungo |first2=Laurent |last3=Chen |first3=Long-Qing |last4=Cinbiz |first4=Mahmut Nedim |last5=Daymond |first5=Mark R. |last6=Koss |first6=Donald A. |last7=Lacroix |first7=Evrard |last8=Pastore |first8=Giovanni |last9=Simon |first9=Pierre-Clément A. |last10=Tonks |first10=Michael R. |last11=Wirth |first11=Brian D.|author11-link=Brian Wirth |last12=Zikry |first12=Mohammed A. |date=May 2019 |title=Hydrogen in zirconium alloys: A review |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022311518316763 |journal=Journal of Nuclear Materials |language=en |volume=518 |pages=440–460 |doi=10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.02.042|bibcode=2019JNuM..518..440M }}</ref>

:{{chem2 | Zr + 2 H2O -> ZrO2 + 2 H2 }}

Hydrolysis is very slow below 100&nbsp;°C, but rapid at temperature above 900&nbsp;°C. Most metals undergo similar reactions. The redox reaction is relevant to the instability of [[nuclear fuel|fuel assemblies]] at high temperatures.<ref>Gillon, Luc (1979). ''Le nucléaire en question'', Gembloux Duculot, French edition.</ref> This reaction occurred in the reactors 1, 2 and 3 of the [[Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant]] (Japan) after the reactor cooling was interrupted by the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|earthquake and tsunami]] disaster of March 11, 2011, leading to the [[Fukushima I nuclear accidents]]. After venting the hydrogen in the maintenance hall of those three reactors, the mixture of hydrogen with atmospheric [[oxygen]] exploded, severely damaging the installations and at least one of the containment buildings.<ref name="IAEA2015">{{cite book |url=https://www.iaea.org/publications/10962/the-fukushima-daiichi-accident |title=The Fukushima Daiichi accident |date=2015 |publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency |isbn=978-92-0-107015-9 |series=STI/PUB |location=Vienna, Austria |pages=37–42}}</ref>

Zirconium is a constituent of [[uranium zirconium hydride]]s, nuclear fuels used in [[research reactor]]s.<ref>{{multiref2|{{Cite journal |last1=Tsuchiya |first1=B. |last2=Huang |first2=J. |last3=Konashi |first3=K. |last4=Teshigawara |first4=M. |last5=Yamawaki |first5=M. |date=March 2001 |title=Thermophysical properties of zirconium hydride and uranium–zirconium hydride |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022311501004202 |journal=Journal of Nuclear Materials |language=en |volume=289 |issue=3 |pages=329–333 |doi=10.1016/S0022-3115(01)00420-2|bibcode=2001JNuM..289..329T }}|{{Cite journal |last1=Olander |first1=D. |last2=Greenspan |first2=Ehud |last3=Garkisch |first3=Hans D. |last4=Petrovic |first4=Bojan |date=August 2009 |title=Uranium–zirconium hydride fuel properties |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0029549309001745 |journal=Nuclear Engineering and Design |language=en |volume=239 |issue=8 |pages=1406–1424 |doi=10.1016/j.nucengdes.2009.04.001|bibcode=2009NuEnD.239.1406O }}}}</ref>