Studies on the oxidation behavior of niobium-implanted Zircaloy-4 at 500 °C

The effect of niobium ion implantation on the oxidation behavior of Zircaloy-4 was investigated. It was interesting to find that the oxidation behavior of Zircaloy-4 was deteriorated after niobium ion implantation. Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and glancing angle X-ray diffraction were employed to analyze the depth profile of the element composition, the valence of the oxide scale and the phase of the oxidation products, respectively.