The present research was aimed at determining the effects of the oxide layers on hydrogen absorption, microstructure and mechanical properties of the Zircaloy- 2 and Zr 702 alloys. The oxidation was made at 350 °C, 700 °C and 900 °C for 10 to 30 min in laboratory air, followed by hydrogen cathodic charging for 72 h and annealing at 400 °C for 4 h. The slow strain rate tests were carried out on oxidized, charged and annealed specimens. The...