Directly susceptible Tribocor 532N crucibles for noncarbon uranium melting and casting

Technical Report · Mon Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6645723· OSTI ID:6645723

Holcombe, Jr, C E; Dykes, N L; Reiner, R H; Walker, L R

A new material, Tribocor 532N (an alloy of 50 wt % niobium-30 wt % titanium-20 wt % tungsten (50Nb-30Ti-20W) nitrided at >1800/degree/C), has been shown to be an excellent crucible/susceptor for melting and casting uranium and its alloys in a noncarbon environment. Testing has progressed from very small-scale initial tests to intermediate-scale foundry tests with performance better than graphite containment. Lifetime tests of Tribocor 532N indicate an improvement of more than an order of magnitude as compared to graphite. The Tribocor 532N is far superior to oxide-based ceramics and experiences no cracking from thermal cycling, is capable of directly suscepting in an induction field for induction heating, and is stable with graphite---allowing any portion of a graphite stack to be replaced interchangeably with Tribocor 532N. Tribocor 532N can be coated with standard paint, and it performs equally well with the more economical zirconia coating instead of yttria, while also being compatible with erbia coatings that are suitable for enriched uranium. Since Tribocor 532N contains no carbon, a Tribocor crucible should introduce less carbon during melt cycles and enable more recycled metal to be used without increasing carbon levels. The long lifetime projections for Tribocor 532N make the material economical. A large-scale crucible of Tribocor 532N will be tested. 14 refs., 11 figs., 7 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6645723
• Report Number(s): Y-2396; ON: DE89002808
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
CASTING
NIOBIUM BASE ALLOYS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
TITANIUM ALLOYS
TUNGSTEN ALLOYS
URANIUM
URANIUM ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPATIBILITY
CRUCIBLES
EROSION
MELTING
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ACTINIDES
ALLOYS
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
METALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
TESTING
360101* - Metals & Alloys- Preparation & Fabrication
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties