The first batch of nuclear-grade zirconium sponge independently produced by a Chinese company was recently shipped to Russia, it was announced on Monday by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) on its official WeChat account.
For a long time, zirconium alloy material used for fuel assembly in domestic nuclear power plants depended on imports, according to CNNC.
This is the first time that China has sent nuclear-grade zirconium sponge of its own in bulk overseas, marking a breakthrough in the country’s nuclear-grade zirconium material exports. It also signals that China’s nuclear-grade zirconium sponge manufacturing has reached the international level, CNNC said.
In the nuclear industry, zirconium sponge is used to produce zirconium alloys for nuclear reactor components, such as the cladding for fuel rods, according to the Zircon Industry Association.
