Initial Assessment of Environmental Barrier Coatings for the Prometheus Project
Depending upon final design and materials selections, a variety of engineering solutions may need to be considered to avoid chemical degradation of components in a notional space nuclear power plant (SNPP). Coatings are one engineered approach that was considered. A comprehensive review of protective coating technology for various space-reactor structural materials is presented, including refractory metal alloys [molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), tantalum (Ta), and niobium (Nb)], nickel (Ni)-base superalloys, and silicon carbide (Sic). A summary description of some common deposition techniques is included. A literature survey identified coatings based on silicides or iridium/rhenium as the primary methods for environmental protection of refractory metal alloys. Modified aluminide coatings have been identified for superalloys and multilayer ceramic coatings for protection of Sic. All reviewed research focused on protecting structural materials from extreme temperatures in highly oxidizing conditions. Thermodynamic analyses indicate that some of these coatings may not be protective in the high-temperature, impure-He environment expected in a Prometheus reactor system. Further research is proposed to determine extensibility of these coating materials to less-oxidizing or neutral environments.
- Research Organization:
- Knolls Atomic Power Lab. (KAPL), Niskayuna, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC12-00SN39357
- OSTI ID:
- 883656
- Report Number(s):
- MDO-723-0018; TRN: US0603536
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
ALLOYS
BUILDING MATERIALS
CERAMICS
COATINGS
DEPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
MOLYBDENUM
NICKEL
NIOBIUM
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PROTECTIVE COATINGS
REFRACTORY METALS
RHENIUM
SILICIDES
SILICON CARBIDES
TANTALUM
THERMODYNAMICS
TUNGSTEN
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NRPCT