The main niobium-zirconium alloy is Nb-1Zr alloy. Nb-1Zr alloy is the most widely used niobium alloy, is a low strength niobium alloy, processing and welding performance is good, mainly used in aerospace, nuclear reactors, nuclear power plants and submarine reactors, new electric light source sodium lamp and other applications.
Niobium-zirconium alloy has good corrosion resistance and mechanical properties to high temperature and high pressure water and steam at 300 ~ 400℃. The most prominent feature of niobium-zirconium alloy is that it can grow a new oxide film with protective ability at the site of the oxide film spalling, and there is no obvious corrosion turning point.
Niobium-zirconium alloy has good corrosion resistance to acid, alkali and salt. Zirconium mainly exists in solid solution in niobium alloy, when there is trace oxygen and carbon, or add trace carbon, a small amount of carbide and oxide dispersion precipitation. The addition of zirconium to niobium can improve the strength of the alloy without affecting the plasticity and processing properties of the alloy, and zirconium can also improve the oxidation resistance and alkali metal corrosion resistance of the alloy.
According to the requirements of performance and purity of interstice impurities (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen), Nb-1Zr alloy is prepared by consumable arc furnace, electron beam furnace or both. For products with lower purity requirements, alloy ingot can also be formed by mixing niobium powder and zirconium powder. The melted alloy ingot needs to be opened by hot extrusion or hot forging, and then processed by forging, rolling, etc., to make various profiles. Powder sintered ingot can be processed directly into wood.
