POWER REACTOR PROGRAM. Progress Report to Savannah River Operations Office, United States Atomic Energy Commission for the Period December 1, 1962-December 31, 1962

Technical Report · Thu Jan 31 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4729167

Isserow, S; Anderson, R W; Davies, D M; Gilman, A R; Bremer, A B

Three U--350-ppm Fe--900-ppm Al tubes were coextruded in Zircaloy-2 as part of the program to develop improved fuel materials. Short specimens for irradiation in the HWCTR are to be prepared from these tubes and the previously prepared unalloyed uranium tubes. Measurements of hardness over 32 hours at 550 deg C indicated that the hardening effect of either 200-ppm Si or 500-ppm Cr on beta quenched U--350-ppm Fe--900-ppm Al is reduced at the same rate. Hardness tests indicated that the combination of Si and Cr additions contributes little if anything to the hot hardness of U-- Fe--Al beyond any individuai effects of the Si or Cr. An alloy of U--350-ppm Fe--900-ppm Al --400-ppm Si --1000-ppm Mo was cast and coextruded in Zircaloy-2 in an effort to combine the hardening effects of Si and Mo in the U-- Fe--Al composition. Extrusion data indicate that the alloy is significantly stiffer than U--Fe--Al at 600 deg C. A technique was established for the brazing of end closures on unalloyetl U tubes for the HWCTR. Both ultrasonic and destructive tests were used to evaluate the soundness of the brazes. For the adaptation of the fabri, cation process to the driver tubes of new design, the coextrusion temperature of 1380 deg F was selected on the basis of hot hardness tests and experimental extrusions. Various billet components are being prepared for the first two experimentai tubes, one inner and one outer. The C contents of the Zircaloy-U billet cores are being minimized by modifying the heating cycle in the melting. (auth)

• Research Organization: Nuclear Metals, Inc., West Concord, Mass.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-014737
• OSTI ID: 4729167
• Report Number(s): NMI-7258
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALUMINUM ALLOYS
BRAZING
CARBON
CASTING
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CLOSURES
EXTRUSION
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
HARDNESS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HEATING
HEAVY WATER COOLANT
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRON ALLOYS
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
MELTING
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
PLANNING
POWER PLANTS
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTORS
RODS
SAMPLING
TEMPERATURE
TEMPERING
TUBES
ULTRASONICS
URANIUM
URANIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCALOY