Niobium-zirconium alloys (such as Nb-1Zr and Nb-2.5Zr) are widely used in nuclear industry, aerospace, superconducting magnets and other fields due to their excellent high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance, low neutron absorption cross-section and good superconducting properties. Its production mainly includes key steps such as raw material preparation, smelting, processing and heat treatment.
Raw material preparation (1) Purification of niobium (Nb) and zirconium (Zr) : Usually, niobite ore (FeNb) or niobium oxide (Nb2O5) is used as raw materials. Crude niobium is obtained through aluminothermic reduction or carbothermic reduction, and then purified to over 99.95% by electron beam melting (EBM) or vacuum arc melting (VAR). Zirconium (Zr) : Mainly extracted from zircon sand (ZrSiO4), sponge zirconium is prepared by chlorination, and then purified to over 99.9% by iodization. Alloy ratio: Typical niobium-zirconium alloy composition: Nb-1Zr (1wt% Zr) : Used for the cladding material of nuclear reactors. Nb-2.5Zr (2.5wt% Zr) : Used for high-temperature structural components and superconducting materials.
The melting process of niobium-zirconium alloy should be carried out under high vacuum or inert atmosphere to avoid oxidation and impurity contamination. The main methods include: (1) Vacuum Arc Melting (VAR) \ n (2) Electron Beam Melting (EBM) \ n3) Powder Metallurgy (PM).
