Zirconium tube
Zirconium tube is a tube made of metal zirconium. Here are some characteristics and applications of zirconium tube:
Zirconium tube has the following advantages:
Excellent corrosion resistance:
Acid corrosion resistance: Zirconium performs well in acidic environments, and its acid resistance is better thantitanium.html> titanium and various steels, and even close to tantalum. Zirconium tubes have strong resistance to common strong acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid, and can work stably in these acidic media for a long time and are not easily damaged by corrosion. For example, in chemical production, reactors, pipelines and other equipment that are often exposed to various acidic substances are often exposed. The use of zirconium tubes can greatly improve the service life and safety of the equipment.
Alkali corrosion resistance: Zirconium is also quite stable in alkaline solutions and can completely resist the erosion of alkaline solutions and molten alkalis, which makes zirconium tubes widely used in some occasions where alkaline substances need to be handled, such as alkali delivery pipelines in the papermaking industry.
Good mechanical properties:
High strength: Zirconium tubes have high strength and can withstand greater pressure and tension. In some occasions where high material strength is required, such as pressure pipes in the aerospace field and nuclear industry, zirconium tubes can meet the equipment's material strength requirements and ensure the safe operation of the equipment.
High hardness: Zirconium has a high hardness, which makes zirconium tubes have good wear resistance and scratch resistance, and can maintain good surface quality and dimensional accuracy in harsh working environments. For example, in some high-speed fluid transportation occasions, zirconium tubes can withstand the scouring and wear of the fluid on the tube wall, and are not prone to wear and deformation.
Good toughness: Zirconium tubes have a certain toughness, and are not prone to breakage and cracking when subjected to external force impact or vibration, and have good impact resistance and shock resistance. This is of great significance for some equipment used in complex working conditions, such as offshore oil platforms and nuclear power plants.
Low neutron absorption cross section: In the nuclear industry, this is a very important advantage of zirconium tubes. Low neutron absorption cross section means that zirconium tubes absorb less neutrons and will not affect the nuclear reaction. Therefore, they can be used as core structural materials for nuclear reactors such as nuclear fuel cladding, pressure tubes, brackets and channel tubes, providing protection for the safe operation of nuclear power plants.
Good high temperature resistance: Zirconium has a high melting point and can still maintain good strength and rigidity at high temperatures, and is not easy to deform. Zirconium tubes can work stably for a long time in high temperature environments, and their maximum operating temperature can reach above 600℃. They are suitable for some high temperature processes, such as high temperature heating furnaces and heat treatment equipment in petrochemicals.
Good processing performance: Zirconium tubes have good processability and can be made into pipes of various shapes and sizes through various processing methods such as extrusion, stretching, bending, welding, etc. to meet the needs of different applications. At the same time, the welding performance of zirconium tubes is good, and the quality and strength of welded joints can be guaranteed by using appropriate welding processes.
Environmental protection: Zirconium tubes are environmentally friendly materials and will not pollute the environment. In the context of increasingly high environmental protection requirements in modern industry, the environmental protection performance of zirconium tubes makes their application in various fields have great advantages.
Good thermal conductivity: Zirconium tubes have good thermal conductivity and can quickly transfer heat, which is of great significance for some occasions where heat exchange is required, such as heat exchangers, condensers and other equipment. It can improve the heat exchange efficiency of equipment and reduce energy consumption.
What are the main application areas of zirconium tubes?
The main application areas of zirconium tubes are as follows:
Nuclear industry:
Nuclear fuel rod cladding: This is one of the most critical applications of zirconium tubes. In nuclear reactors, nuclear fuel rods need to work under high temperature, high pressure, strong radiation and complex chemical environments. Cladding tubes made of zirconium alloy can effectively prevent the reaction between nuclear fuel and coolant, and can withstand various extreme conditions in the core to ensure the safety of nuclear reactions. It is called the first safety barrier for the operation of nuclear power plants.
Nuclear reactor structural materials: In addition to being used as fuel rod cladding, zirconium tubes can also be used for other structural components of nuclear reactors, such as pipes, heat exchangers, etc. In these applications, the corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance and low neutron absorption cross-section of zirconium tubes can ensure the long-term stable operation of the reactor.
Chemical industry:
Corrosive medium transportation pipelines: Various corrosive media such as strong acids, strong alkalis, and strong oxidants are often involved in the chemical production process. Zirconium tubes, due to their excellent corrosion resistance, can transport media stably and for a long time in these harsh environments, reduce the risk of corrosion damage and leakage of pipelines, and reduce maintenance costs and production safety hazards.
Chemical equipment parts: Zirconium tubes are also used in some key parts of chemical equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers, and evaporators. These equipment need to withstand the combined effects of high temperature, high pressure, and corrosive media during operation. The performance advantages of zirconium tubes make them an ideal material choice for these equipment parts, which can improve the service life and production efficiency of the equipment.
Aerospace field:
Engine parts: Aircraft engines face extreme conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, and high-speed airflow during operation, and have extremely high performance requirements for materials. Zirconium tubes can be used to manufacture certain parts of the engine, such as combustion chamber liners, turbine blades, etc. Zirconium's high temperature resistance and good mechanical strength can meet the use requirements of engine parts in harsh working environments, and help improve the performance and reliability of the engine.
Fuselage structural parts: In the fuselage structure of an aircraft, some parts that require high material strength and corrosion resistance may also use zirconium tubes or zirconium alloy materials, such as certain connectors and supports, which can reduce the weight of the fuselage while improving the strength and durability of the structure.
Medical field:
Medical equipment: Zirconium tubes have good biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. In the medical field, they can be used to manufacture some medical devices, such as orthopedic implants, dental instruments, etc. For example, dental implants made of zirconium alloys have good biocompatibility and stability, can be well combined with human bones, and provide reliable support for tooth restoration.
Medical equipment components: In some medical equipment, such as nuclear magnetic resonance equipment, radiotherapy equipment, etc., zirconium tubes can be used as materials for key components, because they will not interfere with the magnetic field or radiation environment of medical equipment, and can ensure the stability and reliability of the equipment during long-term use.
Electronic industry:
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment: In the semiconductor manufacturing process, various high-purity materials and strict process control are required. Zirconium tubes can be used to manufacture some components in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, such as reaction chambers, gas delivery pipelines, etc. The high purity and good corrosion resistance of zirconium can meet the strict requirements of semiconductor manufacturing for materials and ensure the quality and production efficiency of semiconductor products.
Electronic packaging materials: With the continuous development of electronic technology, the requirements for electronic packaging materials are getting higher and higher. Zirconium tubes can be used as a high-performance electronic packaging material for packaging electronic components such as integrated circuits and chips, providing good protection and heat dissipation performance, and improving the reliability and service life of electronic components.
What is the manufacturing process of zirconium tubes?
The manufacturing process of zirconium tubes usually includes the following steps:
Raw material preparation: Select high-purity zirconium metal as raw material.
Melting: Melt zirconium metal under vacuum or inert gas protection to obtain a uniform zirconium alloy.
Forging: Forge the smelted zirconium alloy to improve its organizational structure and performance.
Extrusion: The zirconium alloy is made into a tube billet through an extrusion process.
Rolling: The tube billet is rolled to obtain the required tube diameter and wall thickness.
Heat treatment: Heat treatment is performed on the rolled zirconium tube to eliminate internal stress and improve its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.
Surface treatment: Surface treatment of zirconium tubes, such as pickling and polishing, is performed to improve its surface quality and corrosion resistance.
Inspection: Strict inspection of zirconium tubes, including chemical composition analysis, mechanical property testing, non-destructive testing, etc., is performed to ensure that its quality meets relevant standards and requirements.
Packaging and storage: The zirconium tubes that have passed the inspection are packaged and stored to prevent them from being contaminated and damaged.
It should be noted that the manufacturing process of zirconium tubes may vary depending on different manufacturers and product requirements. In actual production, it is necessary to select the appropriate manufacturing process according to the specific situation and strictly control the quality of each link to ensure the quality and performance of the zirconium tube.
What are the differences between the performance of titanium tubes and zirconium tubes?
The performance of titanium tubes and zirconium tubes has the following differences:
Corrosion resistance:
Titanium tube: It has a strong affinity for oxygen and can form a dense oxide film on the surface, which can protect titanium from medium corrosion. It has good stability in acidic, alkaline, neutral saline solutions and oxidizing media, and has high corrosion resistance to chlorides, sulfides and ammonia. Its corrosion resistance in seawater is higher than that of aluminum alloys, stainless steel, and nickel-based alloys. However, in some concentrated acid environments or complex corrosive media, the corrosion resistance of titanium tubes may be challenged to a certain extent.
Zirconium tube: It has excellent corrosion resistance, and its acid resistance is better than titanium and various steels, and is close to tantalum. It has excellent corrosion resistance in hydrochloric acid of all concentrations and temperatures up to the boiling point. It can also resist corrosion from strong acids such as sulfuric acid and nitric acid, as well as most organic acids, various salt solutions and molten alkalis. It performs better than titanium tubes in highly corrosive environments.
Mechanical properties:
Strength:
Titanium tube: It has high strength, which is comparable to that of steel, but its weight is only about 57% of that of steel. For example, some high-strength titanium alloy tubes can be used for aircraft engine compressor components, rockets, missiles and other structural parts that require high material strength.
Zirconium tube: It also has high strength, but in some high-strength application scenarios, it may be slightly inferior to some high-performance titanium alloys.
Hardness: The hardness of the two is not much different, but the hardness of the zirconium tube is relatively higher, which makes the zirconium tube have better wear resistance and scratch resistance.
Toughness:
Titanium tube: It has good toughness. It is not easy to break or crack when subjected to external impact or vibration, and it can withstand high pressure and vibration.
Zirconium tube: The toughness is also good, but in comparison, the toughness of titanium tube may be better.
High temperature resistance:
Titanium tube: It has strong heat resistance and can maintain good strength and stability in an atmosphere of 500℃.
Zirconium tube: It has a higher melting point and better high temperature resistance. The maximum operating temperature can reach more than 600℃, which is suitable for some high temperature processes.
Processing performance:
Titanium tube: It is relatively difficult to process, and the process performance is poor. It is easy to absorb impurities such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon during hot processing.
Zirconium tube: It is necessary to pay attention to controlling the process conditions during processing, because the friction coefficient between zirconium and the mold is high, it is easy to adhere to the mold surface, and the processing specifications have a sensitive effect on the performance of the product.
Neutron absorption performance:
Titanium tube: The neutron absorption cross section is relatively large, which is not suitable for use in the nuclear industry field with strict requirements on neutron absorption.
Zirconium tube: It has a small neutron absorption cross section and outstanding nuclear performance. It can be used as nuclear industry pipes such as reactor core structural materials.
Price:
Titanium tube: Titanium reserves on the earth are relatively abundant, and the cost of mining and refining is relatively low, so the price of titanium tube is relatively affordable.
Zirconium tube: The reserves of zirconium are relatively small, and the refining and processing process is also relatively complicated, resulting in a higher price for zirconium tubes, making it a relatively expensive pipe material.
We can produce high quality zirconium (Zr702, Zr704, Zr705) and its alloys (Zr2, Zr4) sheets/plates, foils, rods/bars, wires, tubes (zirconium pipes), etc. according to ASTM specifications. Zhuohangxin Metal has been supplying the highest quality zirconium tubes (zirconium welded tubes) at competitive prices and unmatched customer service for many years. All zirconium tubes and pipes we supply will go through a rigorous testing process. Custom designed shapes can be provided in a very short lead time. Please contact us for your needs.
