COMPOSITE NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS FOR CONTROL-ROD AND SCREENING APPLICATIONS
The advantages offered by composite materials for neutron absorbing applications, namely, high neutron absorption characteristics combined with good mechanical and corrosion properties, are known, and various methods bave been developed for producing materials based on Al/B/sub 4/C and Ti/Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/. Two new powder metallurgy techniques for the production of stainless steel clad composite materials in the desired forms are described. The two techniques are the continuous rolling of premixed powders to produce sheet and strip and a tube drawing technique for the manufacture of tubular control rod elements to within fine dimensional tolerances. In describing them, special reference is made to the production of stainless steel clad copper-base material containing 50% by volume of boron carbide. Reference is made to work on other materials, such as iron and nickel/boron-carbide, iron/gadolinium oxide, iron/europium oxide, and nickel/cadmium-fluoride. The relative merits of these combinations are discussed from both the metallurgical and nuclear points of view and in this connection the importance of compatibility between the matrix and absorbing phase is explained. The extended possibilities of composite type materials are briefly discussed with reference to the combination of two or more absorbing elements in one material to achieve optimum blackness' and "burn-up' characteristics and to the production of a material, for use in fast reactors, incorporating both a moderator and a thermal neutron absorber. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Mond Nickel Co. Ltd., Birmingham, Eng.; International Nickel Co. Inc., New York
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-006810
- OSTI ID:
- 4286840
- Report Number(s):
- A/CONF.15/P/1454
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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