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SiC/HT-9
MMC Composite Tubes for Fuel Cladding--Accelerator Technology Corporation, 207 Dellwood,
Mr.
Don. D. Smith, Principal Investigator, atc@cox-internet.com
Dr.
Peter McIntyre, Business Official, atc@cox-internet.com
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-03ER83587
Amount:
$100,000
The
cladding of fuel rods for Gen IV nuclear reactors must operate under extremely
harsh conditions: high temperature
(up to 1000 C in some designs), radiation damage from both fast and thermal
neutrons, and attack by corrosive liquids (sodium and lead in some designs).
The properties of the materials used today for fuel cladding
significantly limit the design options and performance for most Gen IV reactor
concepts. This project will
fabricate a composite tube containing layers of
SiC-fiber cloth and HT-9 steel. The
SiC fibers will provide strength reinforcement and extreme resistance to neutron
damage; the HT-9 steel will provide a ductile support matrix.
Full impregnation and surface bonding between the ceramic cloth and the
steel matrix will be achieved using two proprietary steps: (1) applying an
adhesion layer to the fibers prior to assembly of the composite, and (2)
hot-drawing the lay-up composite through a SiC die set while the tube is
inductively heated locally to near-melt of the steel.
Corrosion resistance will be provided by bonding a thin Ta layer to the
outer surface of the tube. Phase I
will develop all process steps and fabricate the first samples of the composite
tube. The samples will be
sanctioned, and the bonding of the fibers within the steel matrix will be
evaluated. A plan for scaling-up the
fabrication process, to produce tubes with dimensions appropriate for fuel
cladding in Gen IV reactor designs, will be developed.
In Phase II, prototype tubes will be tested under conditions similar to
those in a Gen IV reactor core (temperature, neutron flux, corrosion, internal
swelling).
Commercial Applications and Other
Benefits
as described by awardee: The
technology should have immense commercial potential because the ceramic-steel
composite could be prepared as flat sheets as well as tubes.
It would be a material of choice for any application requiring
combinations of high strength, high temperature performance, corrosion
resistance, and resistance to radiation damage.
Applications include high-temperature reaction vessels in chemical
synthesis, metals manufacturing, airfoils, turbines, engines, spacecraft,
artillery tubes, armor, targets for particle accelerators, and first-wall
structures in fusion reactors.