A collaborative research program between Penn State and Argonne National Laboratory will use the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne for a systematic study of alloying elements and second-phase particles in Zr alloys. The high brilliance and low background of the APS, as well as the availability of a sub-micron beam, will permit a direct measurement of the concentration and chemical state of Fe in the Zr matrix. In this study the APS will be used to quantitatively measure the volume fraction and types of second-phase precipitates as function of alloy composition, thermomechanical processing and neutron or ion irradiation fluence. The knowledge obtained in this research project will develop a mechanistic understanding of microstructural and microchemical evolution under irradiation, thus enhancing the predictive capabilities of Zircaloy cladding corrosion and in-reactor degradation models. This will allow fuel vendors to design nuclear fuel cladding that will perform better in the nuclear reactor environment, as the industry moves towards higher burnup fuel. The research will be performed by a Ph.D. student who will work part time at Argonne as part of his thesis, and benefit from the work environment and research facilities at the laboratory.