Application of Neutron-Absorbing Structural-Amorphous Metal (SAM) Coatings for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Container to Enhance Criticality Safety Controls
Spent nuclear fuel contains fissionable materials ({sup 235}U, {sup 239}Pu, {sup 241}Pu, etc.). Neutron multiplication and the potential for criticality are enhanced by the presence of a moderator during cask loading in water, water incursion in accidents conditions during spent fuel storage or transport. To prevent nuclear criticality in spent fuel storage, transportation, and during disposal, neutron-absorbing materials (or neutron poisons, such as borated stainless steel, Boral{trademark}, Metamic{trademark}, Ni-Gd, and others) would have to be applied. The success in demonstrating that the High-Performance Corrosion-Resistant material (HPCRM) can be thermally applied as coating onto base metal to provide for corrosion resistance for many naval applications raises the interest in applying the HPCRM to USDOE/OCRWM spent fuel management program. The fact that the HPCRM relies on the high content of boron to make the material amorphous--an essential property for corrosion resistance--and that the boron has to be homogeneously distributed in the HPCRM qualify the material to be a neutron poison.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 900175
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-CONF-226122; TRN: US0702173
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at: 2006 MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, United States, Nov 27 - Dec 01, 2006
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Applications of neutron-absorbing structural amorphous metal (SAM) coatings for criticality safety controls of used fuel storage, transportation, and disposal - 14534
Application of Neutron-Absorbing Structural-Amorphous Metal (SAM) Coatings for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Container to Enhance Criticality Safety Control