Technology of ceramic coatings on BeO fuel elements

Technical Report · Tue Dec 22 00:00:00 EST 1964

OSTI ID:4327565

Sandholtz, W A; Snider, G D; Folkers, C L

Declassified 26 Nov 1973. A nuclear reactor for an air-breathing ramjet missile (Project Pluto) requires fuel elements capable of withstanding rigorous environmental conditions of oxidation and corrosion at high temperatures. Of interest are surface temperatures of 1650 deg C scoured by air at 300 psi and at a Reynolds Number of 100,000. These fuel elements consist of densely sintered BeO containing up to 8 wt% of UO/sub 2/ in finely dispersed fuel particles. The fuel is UO/sub 2/ stabilized in a solid solution of Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and ZrO/sub 2/ w ith a molar composition of 1.06: 1: l UO/sub 2/: Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/: ZrO/sub 2/ . This composit ion has a fcc structure and permits wide variation in the U:O ratio without disruptive phase changes. Thus the fuel elements may be sintered in hydrogen and tested in oxygen with no ill effects. BeO is subject to corrosion, volatilization, and redeposition by the reversible reaction with water vapor BeO(s) + H/sub 2/O(g) = Be(OH)/sub 2/(g). Coatings have been studied to reduce the corrosion rate at temperatures of 1500 deg C and above, where the uncoated losses become excessive. The data and information presented are concerned with the technology of coatings, their desirable attributes and physical and chemical properties. Results of corrosion tests are presented along with mechanism of loss analyses and fuel element evaluation. (auth)

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• NSA Number: NSA-29-021319
• OSTI ID: 4327565
• Report Number(s): UCRL-12297-T(Summ.)
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Declassified 26 Nov 1973. Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-74
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

N50120* -Metals
Ceramics
& Other Materials-Ceramics & Cermets-Preparation & Fabrication
*FUEL ELEMENTS- PROPULSION REACTORS
*PROPULSION REACTORS- FUEL ELEMENTS
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
COMPATIBILITY
CORROSION RESISTANCE
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SINTERED MATERIALS
SOLID SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
URANIUM DIOXIDE
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
YTTRIUM OXIDES
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES