THE FABRICATION AND COMPATIBILITY OF METALLIC FUEL ELEMENTS FOR HIGH- TEMPERATURE SERVICE

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EST 1951

OSTI ID:4326359

Saller, H A; Stacy, J T

This report covers an experimental investigntion into the fubrication of various potential fuel-element materials and the testing of these materials for compatibility with structural metals at 1090 deg C (2000 deg F). The fabrication of fuel-element materials containing dispersions of UC/sub 2/, UC/sub 2/, or uranium --beryilium compound in matrices of molybdenum, beryllium, or Type 316 stainless steel was surveyed using powder-metallurgy methods. Four of these materials were found to be quite amenable to sintering and rolling in jackets, i.e., UO/sub 2/ in beryllium, in stainless steel, or in molybdenum, and uranium -- beryllium compound in beryllium. A fifth material, UO/sub 2/ in nickel, appeared promising but was not thoroughly investigated. Compatibility tests were carried out in vacuo for 100 hours at 1090 deg C plus 15 thermal cycles between room temperature and 1090 deg C. The structural metals used in these tests were beryllium, molybdenum, and stainiess steel (Type 316). Beryllium reacted strongly with molybdenum-, stainless steel-, and nickel-base composites. Molybdenum behaved similarly with beryilium-base composites low in UO/sub 2/ or uranium-beryllium compound but with increasing amounts of these uranium-bearing compounds the reaction decreased markedly. UO/sub 2/ in molybdenum- or stainless steel-base composites was nonreactive. (auth)

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, Ohio
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-92
• NSA Number: NSA-12-001970
• OSTI ID: 4326359
• Report Number(s): BMI-701(Del.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BERYLLIUM
BERYLLIUM ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DISPERSIONS
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
JACKETS
MATERIALS TESTING
MINERALOGY, METALLURGY, AND CERAMICS
MOLYBDENUM
NICKEL
POWDER METALLURGY
ROLLING
SINTERING
STAINLESS STEELS
THERMAL STRESSES
URANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM CARBIDES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
VACUUM