MATERIALS FOR ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
The Argonne National Laboratory has built two alkali metal cooled unmoderated reactors and is now designing a third such reactor. The first of this series, EBR-I, a 1 Mwt sodium--potassium cooled device, is constructed of AISI Type 347 stainless steel except for a few components of nichrome, Inconel, and Type A nickel. A special heat of strongly austenitic Type 347 stainless steel was employed in the core region. At the reactor tank outlet, the NaK reaches 322 deg C. In over ten years of operation, no material-associated difficulties of significance have been encountered in EBR-I. EBR-II, rated at 60 Mwt and designed to operate at a sodium coolant outlet temperature of 500 deg C, is built, but has not yet operated. Based on the successful EBR-I experience with austenitic stainless steel, the major material of construction in EBR-II is Type 304 stainless steel. In addition, a 2-1/4 wt % Cr--1.0 wt % Mo low alloy steel is used extensively in the steam and sodium sections of the secondary system. The steam generation system employs sodium-heated steam generators designed on the same basic principles as those successfully used in EBR-I. AISI Type 304L stainless steel is the cladding in the present uranium alloy core. Future cores will contain plutonium in the fuel alloy. Jacket materials new to sodium service in reactors are required to clad these alloys. Necessary properties of these materials are resistance to sodium corrosion, compatibility with the fuel, and good mechanical strength. The Fast Reactor Test Facility (FARET) is presently- being designed to operate at 50 Mw with a 650 deg C maximum sodium coolant temperature. Because of the high operating temperature, choice of AISI Type 304 is not obvious for critical components such as the reactor vessel, system piping, and pump bodies. Materials being consider are Hastelloy-C, ARMCO 17-14 copper-moly, Uniloy N 155, Croloy 16-8-2, and Types 304 and 316 stainless steel. At present Types 304 and 316 stainless steel are the leading candidates. (P.C.H.)
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., Ill.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-015563
- OSTI ID:
- 4064304
- Journal Information:
- Met. Soc., Am. Inst. Mining, Met. Petrol. Engrs. Inst. Metals Div., Spec. Rept. Ser., Vol. Vol: No. 12; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALKALI METALS
ALLOYS
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
ARMCO IRON
AUSTENITE
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COBALT ALLOYS
COPPER ALLOYS
CORROSION PROTECTION
EBR-1
EBR-2
FARET
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
GENERATORS
HASTELLOY
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
INCONEL ALLOYS
IRON
JACKETS
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICHROME
NICKEL
NICKEL ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
NOZZLES
OPERATION
PIPES
PLANNING
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
POTASSIUM ALLOYS
POWER
PUMPS
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SODIUM
SODIUM ALLOYS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEEL-316
STAINLESS STEELS
STEAM
STEELS
TITANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM ALLOYS
VESSELS