Petroleum-Based Organic Coolants for Nuclear Reactors; CALOPORTEURS ORGANIQUES D'ORIGINE PETROLIERE POUR REACTEURS NUCLEAIRES

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1964

OSTI ID:4032411

de Gaudemaris, G P; de Gorski, E; Giuliani, P; Leleu, G

Of all the various strings'' now being studied with a view to the utilization of the energy obtained from the fission of uranium, those known as organic strings are perhaps the most common. These are nuclear reactors in which an organic liquid, known as the coolant, is used to remove the heat calories set up in the nuclear fuel and in certain circumstances also to slow down the neutrons and make them more suitable for capture by the uranium nucleus, in which case they are called moderators. In certain reactor types, the organic liquid fulfils two functions, while in others it merely acts as a coolant, heavy water then being used as the moderator. It is this latter type which is being developed in Europe by Euratom. In systems of this type, the organic liquid raust be subjected to a very high temperature (375 to 450"C) and also to a considerable radiation flux (several watt/gram), so that there are very few organic molecules which can withstand such conditions. Hitherto the use of polyphenyls has been advocated, but although they are fairly satisfactory, their excessively high solidification point constitutes a certain technological drawback. Also the cost, which is still fairly high, restricts their use, for consumption runs to several grams per kwh of electrical energy produced, owing in particular to radiolysis. Under a contact concluded with Euratom (ORGEL Program), the Institut Francais du Petrole (French Petroleum Institute) has carried out studies on the various aromatic petroleum cuts which the oil industry can supply cheaply. On the basis of their thermal and radiolytic siability, the alkyl phenarthrene'' cuts extracted from the power-forming residue were chosen as the most suitable. By virtue of their origin, these cuts have the advantage of being completely free from impurities and entirely aromatic. Their radiolytic stability is excellent, being better than that of the terphenyls. Their thermal stability, which is less satisfactory, must be improved by additional refining. The preparation, purification, characteristics, and detailed composition of these cuts are outlined together with their behavior during high-temperature irradiation tests in a loop installed in the Melusine pile at the Grenoble Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires. (auth)

• Research Organization: Institut Francais du Petrole des Carburants et Lubrifiants, Paris
• NSA Number: NSA-18-019836
• OSTI ID: 4032411
• Report Number(s): EUR-496.f; CONF-477-1
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALKYL RADICALS
AROMATICS
CHEMISTRY
COOLANTS
DECOMPOSITION
ECONOMICS
IMPURITIES
MATERIALS TESTING
MODERATORS
PETROLEUM
PHENANTHRENE
POLYPHENYLS
PREPARATION
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIOLYSIS
STABILITY
TEMPERATURE
USES