Abstract
Within the framework of the improvement of nuclear reactor safety, a device to recover corium is proposed to be installed under the reactor vessel to limit the consequences of a core melting. According to our bibliographic study, stabilised zirconia seems to be the best refractory material to play this role and to support the physicochemical, mechanical and thermal requirements imposed to the corium catcher. The nature of the chemical interactions between zirconia and iron of high temperature were established and experimental data on the (U, Fe, Zr, O) quaternary system which stands for the corium were determined. First of all, the Knudsen effusion mass-spectrometric method was used to establish the liquidus position for a (U, Zr, O) alloy representative of the corium (U/Zr = 1,5) at 2000 deg C. The oxygen solubility limit in a (U, Zr, O) liquid alloy is about 7 atomic %. In oxidising conditions, the reaction between zirconia and iron leads to the formation of a stabilised zirconia-iron oxide solid solution. Up to 10 atomic % of iron can be incorporated in the structure, leading to the stabilisation of cubic zirconia and a modification of lattice constants. The valence and localisation of those iron measured as
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Maurizi, A
[1]
- CEA Centre d`Etudes Nucleaires de Saclay, 91 -Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
Citation Formats
Maurizi, A.
High temperature chemical reactivity in the system (U, Zr,Fe, O). A contribution to the study of zirconia as a ``core catcher``; Reactivite chimique a haute temperature dans le systeme (U, Zr, Fe, O) contribution a l`etude de la zircone comme recuperateur de ``corium``.
France: N. p.,
1996.
Web.
Maurizi, A.
High temperature chemical reactivity in the system (U, Zr,Fe, O). A contribution to the study of zirconia as a ``core catcher``; Reactivite chimique a haute temperature dans le systeme (U, Zr, Fe, O) contribution a l`etude de la zircone comme recuperateur de ``corium``.
France.
Maurizi, A.
1996.
"High temperature chemical reactivity in the system (U, Zr,Fe, O). A contribution to the study of zirconia as a ``core catcher``; Reactivite chimique a haute temperature dans le systeme (U, Zr, Fe, O) contribution a l`etude de la zircone comme recuperateur de ``corium``."
France.
@misc{etde_636745,
title = {High temperature chemical reactivity in the system (U, Zr,Fe, O). A contribution to the study of zirconia as a ``core catcher``; Reactivite chimique a haute temperature dans le systeme (U, Zr, Fe, O) contribution a l`etude de la zircone comme recuperateur de ``corium``}
author = {Maurizi, A}
abstractNote = {Within the framework of the improvement of nuclear reactor safety, a device to recover corium is proposed to be installed under the reactor vessel to limit the consequences of a core melting. According to our bibliographic study, stabilised zirconia seems to be the best refractory material to play this role and to support the physicochemical, mechanical and thermal requirements imposed to the corium catcher. The nature of the chemical interactions between zirconia and iron of high temperature were established and experimental data on the (U, Fe, Zr, O) quaternary system which stands for the corium were determined. First of all, the Knudsen effusion mass-spectrometric method was used to establish the liquidus position for a (U, Zr, O) alloy representative of the corium (U/Zr = 1,5) at 2000 deg C. The oxygen solubility limit in a (U, Zr, O) liquid alloy is about 7 atomic %. In oxidising conditions, the reaction between zirconia and iron leads to the formation of a stabilised zirconia-iron oxide solid solution. Up to 10 atomic % of iron can be incorporated in the structure, leading to the stabilisation of cubic zirconia and a modification of lattice constants. The valence and localisation of those iron measured as a function of time and temperature from 1500 to 2400 deg C, after high frequency inductive heating, both on laboratory materials are commercial bricks. The reaction rate is governed by an activation energy of about 80 kJ/mol. Our results demonstrate that stabilised zirconia is able to efficiently absorb oxidised iron. (author). 169 refs.}
place = {France}
year = {1996}
month = {Dec}
}
title = {High temperature chemical reactivity in the system (U, Zr,Fe, O). A contribution to the study of zirconia as a ``core catcher``; Reactivite chimique a haute temperature dans le systeme (U, Zr, Fe, O) contribution a l`etude de la zircone comme recuperateur de ``corium``}
author = {Maurizi, A}
abstractNote = {Within the framework of the improvement of nuclear reactor safety, a device to recover corium is proposed to be installed under the reactor vessel to limit the consequences of a core melting. According to our bibliographic study, stabilised zirconia seems to be the best refractory material to play this role and to support the physicochemical, mechanical and thermal requirements imposed to the corium catcher. The nature of the chemical interactions between zirconia and iron of high temperature were established and experimental data on the (U, Fe, Zr, O) quaternary system which stands for the corium were determined. First of all, the Knudsen effusion mass-spectrometric method was used to establish the liquidus position for a (U, Zr, O) alloy representative of the corium (U/Zr = 1,5) at 2000 deg C. The oxygen solubility limit in a (U, Zr, O) liquid alloy is about 7 atomic %. In oxidising conditions, the reaction between zirconia and iron leads to the formation of a stabilised zirconia-iron oxide solid solution. Up to 10 atomic % of iron can be incorporated in the structure, leading to the stabilisation of cubic zirconia and a modification of lattice constants. The valence and localisation of those iron measured as a function of time and temperature from 1500 to 2400 deg C, after high frequency inductive heating, both on laboratory materials are commercial bricks. The reaction rate is governed by an activation energy of about 80 kJ/mol. Our results demonstrate that stabilised zirconia is able to efficiently absorb oxidised iron. (author). 169 refs.}
place = {France}
year = {1996}
month = {Dec}
}