Iridium-alloy processing experience in FY 1990

Technical Report · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10132484· OSTI ID:10132484

Ohriner, E K

Iridium-alloy blanks and foil are produced at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for use as fuel cladding material in radioisotope thermoelectric generators for space power sources. Until 1984, the material was produced from small, 500-g drop castings. A new process has been developed in which consumable electrodes of about 10 kg are melted, extruded, and then rolled to produce the sheet products. The work performed during FY 1990 included the consumable-electrode arc melting of four ingots and the extruding and rolling to sheet of four billets. Significant improvements made in the extruding and arc-melting processes during FY 1989 have been demonstrated to dramatically increase the rate of blank acceptance in nondestructive evaluations. Efforts to improve the rolling practice and to better characterize intermetallic particle distributions in the sheet are also described.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 10132484
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM--11878; ON: DE92010519
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300403
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101
ELECTRODES
EXTRUSION
FABRICATION
FOILS
FUEL CANS
INSPECTION
IRIDIUM ALLOYS
MATERIALS, COMPONENTS, AND AUXILIARIES
MELTING
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PREPARATION AND FABRICATION
PROCESS CONTROL
ROLLING
THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENTS
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS