ALLOY MEMBERS SUITABLE FOR USE AS NUCLEAR FUEL ELEMENTS AND PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME

Patent · Wed Nov 16 04:00:00 EST 1960

OSTI ID:4146118

A uranium alloy exhibiting high resistance to corrosion by high- temperature water and steam and suituble for use as a fuel alloy in pressurized water and other types of reactors can be fabricated. The alloy consists of 3 to 25% niobium. 1 to 30% zirconium, and the balance uranium. The total weight of niobium and zirconium not exceeding 40%. The alloy should be in the gamma phase and clad with a zirconium-base alloy containing 0.1 to 2.5% tin and 0.1 to 2% of at least one of the elements iron, niobium, or chromium. and having a thickness ? 0.009 in. A method for producing and fabricating the fuel alloy is presented. A clad fuel alloy made in this way given only a 1 to 2 vol. ncrease it 0.45% burn-up and 385 deg C in a reactor, as compared with 8 to 10 vol. % increases for U-Nb alloys. Out-of-pile corrosion tests showed that this alloy has superior resistance compared with U-Nb alloys. (D.L.C.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-15-003145
• OSTI ID: 4146118
• Report Number(s): GB 854096
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALLOYS
BURNUP
CHROMIUM
CORROSION
ELEMENTS
ENRICHMENT
FABRICATION
FUELS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRON
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NIOBIUM
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PRESSURE
PRODUCTION
REACTORS
STEAM
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TESTING
THICKNESS
TIN
URANIUM ALLOYS
VOLUME
WATER
WEIGHT
ZIRCONIUM
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS