Properties of Ceramic and Cermet Fuels for Sodium Graphite Reactors

Technical Report · Thu Jun 30 04:00:00 EDT 1960

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4175587· OSTI ID:4175587

Koenig, N. R. ^[1]; Webb, B. A. ^[1]

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1. North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, CA (United States). Atomics International Div.

Nuclear materials of interest as potential reactor fuels for sodium graphite reactors are reviewed to select those which appear most feasible for high-temperature, long-burnup application. Fuel properties such as melting point, thermal neutron absorption cross section, uranium content, chemical and physical properties, and fabrication details are presented. Other factors such as expected burnup capabilities, required enrichments, and conversion ratios were compared. A program is currently in progress to evaluate promising nuclear fuels. Fuel materials under consideration include the uranium compounds: uranium dioxide, uranium monocarbide, borides, sulfides, aluminide, nitrides, silicides, and phosphides. Various cermets are under consideration. These include dispersions of uranium compounds in matrices of uranium, uranium alloys, thorium, and thorium alloys. Included among the uranium alloy matrices are binary and ternary combinations of uranium with niobium, molybdenum, and zirconium.

• Research Organization: North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, CA (United States). Atomics International Div.
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-8
• NSA Number: NSA-14-018165
• OSTI ID: 4175587
• Report Number(s): NAA-SR--3880
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
BEARINGS
BURNUP
CERAMICS
CERMETS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONVECTION
CROSS SECTIONS
DISPERSIONS
FABRICATION
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUELS
GRAPHITE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
MELTING POINTS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
PHOSPHIDES
REACTORS
SODIUM
THERMAL NEUTRONS
THORIUM
THORIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM
URANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM BORIDES
URANIUM CARBIDES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM NITRIDES
URANIUM SILICIDES
URANIUM SULFIDES
USES
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS