Activation product release from fusion structural materials

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6263436

Maya, I; Montgomery, F; Trester, P; Burnette, R; Johnson, W; Schultz, K

The release and transport of activated materials-of-construction in a fusion reactor during an accident scenario involving overheating and ingress of oxidants is an important area of safety research. This investigation quantified material release characteristics which result from surface oxide spallation and vaporization for the steel alloys PCA and HT-9 in air and helium environments. Flowing air and helium, each containing specific quantities of O/sub 2/ and H/sub 2/O, were used to oxidize test sample surfaces at temperatures of 800/sup 0/ and 1000/sup 0/C for exposure times of <200 h. The changes and features observed are described and include: weight, oxide scale morphology, adherence and composition; alloy composition (including decarburization); and vaporization as fractional loss of alloying elements. Oxide scales formed were dominant in Mn and Cr but minor in Fe. The dominant volatilized elements detected were Mo, W, Cr, As, Mn and Sb. The implications of these data for safety analyses of activated material release are that following an accident exposure to 800/sup 0/C, material transport by scale spallation and or volatilization should be minor, in contrast to the potentially higher consequences of exposure to 1000/sup 0/C.

• Research Organization: GA Technologies, Inc., San Diego, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6263436
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-26084; CONF-841246-7; ON: DE85003945
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700206* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Environmental Aspects
ACCIDENTS
ALLOY-HT-9
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIOACTIVATION
SPALLATION
SPUTTERING
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS