In the post-Fukushima world, the thermal and structural stability of materials under
extreme conditions is an important issue for the safety of nuclear reactors. Because the
nuclear industry is going to continue using advanced zirconium cladding materials for the
foreseeable future, it becomes critical to gain a fundamental understanding of several
interconnected problems. First, what are the thermodynamic and kinetic factors affecting the
oxidation and hydrogen pick-up by these materials at normal, off-normal conditions, and in
long-term storage? Secondly, what protective coatings (if any) could be used in order to gain
extremely valuable time at off-normal conditions, e.g., when temperature exceeds the critical
value of ~1200°C (2200° F)? Thirdly, the kinetics of oxidation of such a protective coating
or braiding needs to be quantified. Lastly, even if some degree of success is achieved along
this path, it is absolutely critical to have in-service inspection algorithms allowing
identifying defects of cladding as soon as possible.