YTTRIUM HYDRIDE MODERATOR EVALUATION--IN-PILE THERMAL STABILITY

Technical Report · Tue Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4124747· OSTI ID:4124747

Marshall, J C; Van Houten, R; Baxter, W G

The stability of a hydrided yttrium--5 weight percent chromium alloy (NH 5.3 to 5.5) is studied in a nuclear reactor environment at 1000 deg C for periods greater thand l000 hours ( approximates 10/sup 20/ nvt fast). A clad of Fe--20Cr- -4.5Al (weight percent) is selected. A method is developed for nondestructively measuring hydrogen content by a neutron-scatter technique. This method allows repetitive monitoring and quantitative measurement of hydrogen loss rates in the same test specimen. Non-nuclear thermal stability is established by a series of bench tests at 980, 1040, and 1100 deg C in static air, dynamic air (114 ft/sec), and high-pressure air (95 psia). These tests confirm that the specimens are stsble for extended periods of time at 1000 deg C in a nonnuclear environment. Two in-pile tests, each containing four specimens, are performed. The first experiment is run for 1950 hours at 700 deg C in air for an estimated thermal neutron dose of 4.9 x 10/sup 19/ nvt. All irradiated specimens remain intact. There are no weight or dimensional changes; nondestructive testing shows that the core, clad, and clad bonds are sound. A chemical analysis on one of these irradiated samples indicates 2.04 weight percent hydrogen. This compsres with the 2.00 to 2.08 weight percent hydrogen in the as-hydrided control specimens. The second in-pile experiment uses internal heaters in the cartridge and operates at 1000 deg C for 2450 hours in air for a total thermal flux of 8.2 x 10/sup 19/ nvt. A preliminary evaluation indicates that all specimens are still sound. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Flight Propulsion Lab., Dept., Cincinnati
• DOE Contract Number: AT(40-1)-2847
• NSA Number: NSA-18-004306
• OSTI ID: 4124747
• Report Number(s): TID-19501; CONF-11-13; TM-62-1
• Resource Relation: Other Information: From American Nuclear Society of 1962 Winter Meeting, Washington, D.C., Nov. 1962. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
AIR
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
MODERATORS
MONITORING
NEUTRONS
PRESSURE
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIATION DOSES
SCATTERING
STABILITY
THERMAL NEUTRONS
THERMODYNAMICS
VARIATIONS
VOLUME
WEIGHT
YTTRIUM HYDRIDES