Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-18T21:07:49.229Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chemical Compatibility at High Temperature between the Carbide Fuel UC or (U,Pu)C and SiC Cladding for the Gas cooled Fast Reactor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Alexandre Berche ,
Thierry Alpettaz ,
Sylvie Chatain ,
Stephane Gossé ,
Christine Guéneau  and
Cyril Rado
Alexandre Berche
Affiliation:
alexandre.berche@cea.fr, CEA, DPC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Thierry Alpettaz
Affiliation:
thierry.alpettaz@cea.fr, CEA, DPC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Sylvie Chatain
Affiliation:
sylvie.chatain@cea.fr, CEA, DPC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Stephane Gossé
Affiliation:
stephane.gosse@cea.fr
Christine Guéneau
Affiliation:
christine.gueneau@cea.fr, United States
Cyril Rado
Affiliation:
cyril.rado@cea.fr, CEA, DTEC, Bagnols sur Cèze, France
Get access

Abstract

The chemical compatibility at high temperature between the fuel kernel (U,Pu)C and SiC cladding, the reference materials for the GFR reactor, is studied. For that purpose, a thermodynamic database on the U-Pu-C-Si system was developed with the Calphad method to calculate the phase diagrams. Differential thermal analysis experiments were performed to measure phase transition temperatures in Si-U and C-Si-U systems. According to the calculated isopleth section between the hyperstoichiometric uranium carbide UC1.02 and SiC, the materials shall not react below 2056 K, the temperature at which a liquid phase shall form. These calculations are in good agreement with two chemical compatibility tests performed at 1873 K and 2073 K between the materials. Calculations were also performed to study the chemical interaction between the mixed carbide (U,Pu)C1.04 and SiC. The presence of plutonium in the fuel kernel lowers the liquid formation temperature of 167 K.

Keywords

nuclear materialsphase equilibriaactinide
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1264: Symposia Z/BB – Basic Actinide Science and Materials for Nuclear Applications , 2010 , 1264-Z04-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1http://www.actinet-network.org/joint_projects/materials_under_irradiation/jrp_05_25Google Scholar
2http://www.calphad.org/awards/2008-Best-Poster.pdfGoogle Scholar
3 Guéneau, C., Chatain, S., Dumas, J.C., Lechelle, J., Rado, C., Defoort, F., Dupin, N. Sundman, B. Noel, H. Konings, R. FUELBASE: a thermodynamic database for advanced nuclear fuels, in: Proceedings HTR2006 : Third International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology, October 1–4 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.Google Scholar
4 Guéneau, C., Dupin, N. Sundman, B. Rado, C. Konings, R. A progress report on the development of FUELBASE, a thermodynamic database for the description of multicomponent systems for nuclear fuel applications. Part 1. Binary systems, Technical Report CEA/DEN/DANS/DPC/07-DO-31, DPC/SCP 07-224 indice A. February 2007.Google Scholar
5 Baïchi, M., Chatillon, C. Guéneau, C., Chatain, S. J. Nuc. Mat. 294 (2001) 84–87 Google Scholar
6 Chatain, S. Larousse, B. Maillault, C. Guéneau, C., Chatillon, C. J. All. Comp. 457 (2008) 157–163 Google Scholar
7 Berche, A. Alpettaz, T. Chatain, S. et al. “Thermodynamic study of the uranium – vanadium system” submitted in J. Chem. Thermodyn. (march 2010)Google Scholar
8 Lukas, H.L. Fries, S. G. Sundman, B. Computational Thermodynamics, The Calphad Method, Cambridge (2007)Google Scholar
9 Berche, A. Rado, C. Rapaud, O. Guéneau, C., Rogez, J. J. Nucl. Mater. 389 (2009) 101–107 Google Scholar
10 Kaufman, A. Cullity, B. and Bitsianes, G. Trans. Amer. Inst. Min. Met. Eng. 209 (1957) 23 Google Scholar
11 Gröbner, J., Lukas, H. L. Aldinger, F. Calphad 20, 2 (1996) 247–254 Google Scholar
12 Dupin, N. Berche, A. Guéneau, C., Utton, C. Private communicationGoogle Scholar
13 Storms, E.K. The Refractory Carbides, Academic press, New York and London (1967)Google Scholar
14 Kurata, M. Calphad 23, 3-4 (1999) 305–337 Google Scholar
15 Dupin, N. C. Guéneau, Martial, C. Dumas, J.C. Sundman, B. Private communicationGoogle Scholar