PROGRESS RELATING TO CIVILIAN APPLICATIONS DURING FEBRUARY 1961
Reactor Materials and Components. The stresses required to produce creep rates of 0.001, 0.01, and O.l%/hr at 650, 800, and 1000 deg C were measured for Nb--2.37 wt.% Cr, Nb--3.34 wt.% Zr, snd Nb--5.21 wt.% V; anneals of these three alloys showed recrystallization only for heat treatment at 1260 deg C. Fabrication of miniature heating elements and thermocouples for a power-balancing thermal neutron fiux sensor is described. Fuels. Rolling propenties of Nb-10 wt.% U and Nb--20 wt.% U at 1000 deg F are described. Air oxidation tests were made at 1100 deg F for the following compounds: (Th/sub 9/U)C, ThC - lOUC - 5NbC, ThC - 10UC - 5SiC, ThC - 10UC - 2.5Mo/sub 2/C, ThC - 10UC - 5ZrC, (Th/sub 9/U)C/ sub 2/, ThC/sub 2/ - 10UC/sub 2/ - 5NbC, ThC/sub 2/ - 10UC/sub 2/ - 5SiC, ThC/sub 2/ - 10UC/sub 2/ 2.5Mo/sub 2/C, and ThC/sub 2/ - 10UC/sub 2/ - 5ZrC. Hardness measurements on Th--5 wt.% Pu snd Th--10 wt.% Pu show that complete recrystallization occurs within 1 min at 700 deg C. X-ray diffraction sthdies indicate No--25.6 wt.% Pu-6.1 wt.% Si to consist of free Nb and Nb/sub 5/Si/sub 3/ . Sintering and melting expeniments on PuO/sub 2/ in Ar and H/sub 2/ show that melting is caused by the existence of Pu/sub 2/O/sub 3/ in Ar or by reduction of PuO/sub 2/ to Pu/sub 2/O/sub 3/ in dry H/sub 2/. Compatibility tests with PuO/ sub 2/ pellets encased in types 304, 316, 318, and 347 stainless steel and Inconel, run for 2 hr at 1900 or 2000 deg F in H/sub 2/, gave no evidence of failure. An equation is presented which describes the in-pile steady-state release rate of fission products from dense plates. Fuel Element Development. A reaction layer was found at the interface between type 304 stainless steel cladding and UN-type 347 stainless steel cerments gas-pressure bonded at 2300 deg F. Fabrication of UN cerments is described. Experiments conducted with compacted mixtures of plastic binder, stainless steel powder, and UO/sub 2/ powder are described. Developmext of Uranium Carbide. Cores of UC and UC --10 wt.% Mo/sub 2/C were hot pressed at 1480 deg C, and density measurements before and after sintering are reported along with particle-size data. Uranium carbide melts were cast; analyses of castings gave 5.1 plus or minus 0.3 wt.% C. Phase studies of as-cast U--5.9 wt.% C and U--6.5 wt.% C were conducted which show UC --UC/sub 2/ mixtures and indicate a eutectlc in the UC--UC/sub 2/ system. Diffusion studies gave a preliminary value of 5 x 10/sup -//sup 8/ cm/sup 2//sec for the self- diffusion coefficient of C in UC at 1600 deg C. The research program on radiation effects on UC is described briefly. Growth of UO/sub 2/ Single Crystals. Experiments using a high-temperature tungsten reslstance furnace to grow single UO/sub 2/ crystals from melt are reported. It appears that tungsten is compatible with molten UO/sub 2/ and that dissociation of UO/sub 2/ does not occur up to its melting point. Other topics discussed in the abstract include: Radioisotope and Radiation Applications; Materials Evaluation; Coated-Particle Fuel Materials; Recovery of Spent Reactor Fuel Elements; Fueled Graphite Elements for Pebble-Bed Reactor; Cold Bonding of Zircaloy-2 to Type 410 Stainless Steel; Gas Cooled Reactor Program; Corrosion of Thorium and Uranium; and Gas-Pressure Bonding of Be-Clad Elements.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-92
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-020476
- OSTI ID:
- 4091379
- Report Number(s):
- BMI-1504(Del.)
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ACETATES
AIR
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
ALUMINUM OXIDES
ALUMINUM SILICATES
ANNEALING
ARGON
BONDING
CARBON
CASTING
CERMETS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COMPACTING
CONFIGURATION
CORROSION
CRACKS
CREEP
DENSITY
DIES
DIFFRACTION
DIFFUSION
DISPERSIONS
EQUATIONS
EUTECTICS
EVAPORATION
EXPANSION
FABRICATION
FAILURES
FISSION PRODUCTS
FLUIDIZATION
FUEL CANS
FUELS
FURNACES
GASES
GRAIN SIZE
GRAPHITE
HARDNESS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HOT WORKING
HYDROGEN
IN PILE LOOPS
INCONEL ALLOYS
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
IRRADIATION
LAYERS
LEACHING
MACHINING
MANGANESE 54
MANGANESE COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED