Performance of ferritic alloy cladding in LMR mixed-oxide fuel pins in EBR-II

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7090563

Makenas, B J; Lawrence, L A

Mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel pins with candidate ferritic alloy cladding have been irradiated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) to evaluate performance for possible liquid-metal reactor (LMR) application. Ferritic alloys are of considerable interest in LMRs because of their resistance to irradiation-induced swelling. Ferritic alloys may also possess improved resistance to environmentally assisted crack propagation when compared to austenitic alloys. Two types of ferritic materials, i.e., D-57 (10 Cr, 6 Mo, 0.6 Ni, 0.5 Nb) and HT-9 (12 Cr, 1 Mo, 0.5 Ni), were irradiated in the 37-pin P44 experiment. Irradiation conditions for these P44 pins are summarized. Most of the emphasis in postirradiation examinations for P44 has been placed on the HT-9-clad pins with nondestructive and destructive examinations conducted at 5, 9, 11.5, 12.5, and 13.5 at.% burnup. Ferritic alloys have thus shown promise as a structural material for an LMR. It is expected that use of HT-9, with perhaps improved thermomechanical treatments, will lead to improved core management through the elimination of duct swelling. It should also lead to fuel pins with long lifetimes through elimination of swelling induced bundle/duct interactions.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Hanford, Richland, WA
• OSTI ID: 7090563
• Report Number(s): CONF-861102-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 53
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360106 -- Metals & Alloys-- Radiation Effects
ALLOY-HT-9
ALLOYS
BREEDER REACTORS
BURNUP
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEFORMATION
EBR-2 REACTOR
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FERRITIC STEELS
FUEL CANS
FUEL INTEGRITY
FUEL-CLADDING INTERACTIONS
FUELS
HEAT TREATMENTS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
IRRADIATION
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
METALLOGRAPHY
MICROSTRUCTURE
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION
POWER REACTORS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SERVICE LIFE
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
SOLID FUELS
STEELS
SWELLING