On the Interactions of Molybdenum and Graphite, a Promising Material System for Microreactors

Feasibility Studies and Downselection of New Materials and Manufacturing Technologies for Nuclear Applications

“…These composite materials have widespread applications in other industries, as well, namely the aerospace and automotive industries. Within a reactor, composites may be used for control rod sleeves, guide tubes, upper core restraint structures, upper plenum shrouds, hot gas duct insulation modules, fuel cladding, heat pipes, and within heat exchangers [41,77,78]. Specifically, SiC is also seen as an ATF cladding and has been used as a layer in fuel architectures such as TRISO fuels [79][80][81].…”

“…The application of a protective coating layer on these composites is seen as a promising solution, reducing corrosion, erosion, and burn-off [40,85,86]. With these coatings, there are compatibility concerns with the composite because of thermally and irradiation-induced diffusion; additionally, there is an inherent difficulty with coating the internal length of the tubing [78,87]. Furthermore, it is difficult to join and form complex shapes while maintaining hermeticity with composites [86].…”

“…Data Availability: 3/5. The Mo/C-C is not an explicitly well-studied material; however several studies have been performed using a Mo-Si-W system to enhance the corrosion resistance of C/C composites, and the Mo-C system is well-studied [78,128,129].…”

Carburization Kinetics of Zircalloy-4 and Its Implication for Small Modular Reactor Performance

“…For many SMR designs under consideration, a graphite core-block is proposed [1,2]. This introduces the question of carburization and carbon corrosion of the cladding materials.…”

“…In recent years the nuclear industry has sought to find alternatives to Zr-based LWR cladding systems as steam oxidation of Zr at high temperatures (>1273 K) leads to the generation of excessive heat and hydrogen gas with detrimental effects to a potential ongoing accident. The driving force for the replacement of Zr cladding, however, does not apply to SMR operational conditions since in many designs water is not used as a reactor coolant [1,2]. The search for a Zr replacement due to water/stream interactions has led the LWR industry to explore alternative cladding materials, with Cr-coated Zr-based alloys and advanced stainless steel alloys (i.e., FeCrAl) emerging as realistic near-term replacements [8].…”