Reaction Behavior of B<sub>4</sub>C Absorber Material with Stainless Steel and Zircaloy in Severe Light Water Reactor Accidents

Hofmann, P.; Markiewicz, M.; Spino, J.

doi:10.13182/nt90-a34417

Cited by 63 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…Boron carbide did not remain as an independent phase. This shows that the interaction of boron carbide with α-Zr(O), just as for zirconium, starts below 1800°C, in agreement with the data of [9]. In the STFM-B experiment No.…”

supporting

confidence: 87%

“…The Zr(O)-UO 2 -B 4 C system has not been previously studied experimentally. The investigation of the B 4 C-Zr interaction [9] showed that the reaction starts at temperatures above 1250°C and results in The interaction of oxidized α-Zr(O) with boron carbide likewise has not been investigated previously [10]. Consequently, experiments on studying the influence of boron carbide on stratification had to be preceded by an investigation of the behavior of boron carbide in contact with suboxidized melt in a temperature range up to complete melting of the entire system.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Investigation of the effect of B4C on the interaction of oxide melt and steel in a VVER-1000 vessel during a severe accident

et al. 2008

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The results of investigations of the interaction of U-Zr-B-C-O melts with steel, which are performed as part of the OECD Masca international program, are presented. It is found that, as a result of the interaction, boron and carbon become concentrated predominately in the metallic phase of the melt. As the initial mass ratio m Fe /m melt increases, the effect of the addition of B 4 C on the melt-iron interaction decreases because the metallic phase is diluted with iron. It is concluded on the basis of a comparison of the results of the STFM-B Nos. 3, 7 experiments with the STFM-Fe Nos. 3, 7 experiments performed previously without the participation of boron carbide that the effect of boron carbide on the interaction of the oxide melt with iron decreases as the degree of oxidation of zirconium increases.In order to develop measures that would guarantee control of safety even for low-probability severe accidents with core meltdown, it is necessary to understand the thermohydraulic and physicochemical phenomenon and processes occurring in the melt pool. The multi-component nature of the melt and the inadequacy of the database and computational methods make it necessary, first and foremost, to perform experiments with prototypical components of a light-water reactor, including uranium, zirconium, steel components of in-reactor structures and fission-product simulators, as well as other materials present in power reactors, for example, the materials of control rods and consumable absorbers, for example, B 4 C.The main sources of B 4 C in melt are absorbing rods of the control and protection system, which are made with partial use of boron carbide. The total mass of B 4 C in VVER-1000 is about 260 kg, which corresponds to 0.25 mass % of the core mass. It has been shown in previous work [1], in investigation of carbon on the behavior of suboxidized melt of the type C-32, that as a result of melting and subsequent solidification it stratifies into two layers with carbon concentration >0.2 mass% in the initial layer. The nature of the stratification is probably associated with the special features of Zr(O)-UO 2 phase diagrams [2,3], the fact that carbon is not appreciably soluble in the oxides UO 2 and ZrO 2 and their solid solutions, as well as the high affinity of zirconium to carbon. It is known that zirconium has a high affinity to other interstitial elements (B, N), which, in particular, can be seen in a comparison of the melting temperature of the corresponding stoichiometric com-

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confidence: 87%

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confidence: 99%

Investigation of the effect of B4C on the interaction of oxide melt and steel in a VVER-1000 vessel during a severe accident

et al. 2008

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“…Indeed, the investigation of the B 4 C-Zr interaction showed that a reaction between B 4 C and Zr starts at 1250°C and leads to the ZrB 2 and ZrC formation [23]. In the MASCA test program, interactions within the U-Zr-B-C-O system were studied [24]: ZrB 2 and Zr(C, O) were preferentially formed.…”

Section: 212mentioning

confidence: 99%

Zirconium carbide coating for corium experiments related to water-cooled and sodium-cooled reactors

Plevacova

Journeau

Piluso

et al. 2011

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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“…Previous studies have used static methods to investigate the eutectic reaction between B4C and SS, with special focus on their chemical interaction, and the melt initiation accompanying the reaction. These studies visualized the molten material by observing samples after annealing tests (Hofmann et al, 1990, Nagase et al, 1997, Shibata et al, 2015, Sasaki et al, 2015. However, only few studies have performed experiments involving dynamic visualization even though the progress of melt growth and the melt behavior are unsteady and dynamic.…”

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confidence: 99%

Time-resolved visualization technique for eutectic reaction between boron carbide and stainless steel at high temperatures

Ueda

Madokoro

et al. 2016

Mechanical Engineering Letters

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The liquefaction and relocation of control rods at temperatures over 1200 °C due to the eutectic reaction between boron carbide and stainless steel are important phenomena for the clarification of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. However, the mechanism and behavior of these phenomena have not yet been understood completely. The time-resolved visualization of the dynamic and unsteady characteristics of the eutectic reaction might provide important insights into the various phenomena occurring in a time sequence. Therefore, this study employed a time-resolved visualization technique under high-temperature conditions to analyze the eutectic reaction between boron carbide and stainless steel. Among the many heating methods available, radiative heating was chosen because it facilitates clear visualization. The main problems that made this visualization difficult were the large thermal expansion, reflected light from heaters, and change in the specimen geometry due to the reaction. These problems were solved by employing novel and simple techniques. In this study, experiments were performed at different temperatures using different specimens to confirm the effectiveness of the developed technique. The maximum temperature used in the experiments was 1250 °C. Clear images were recorded. It was observed that the change in the specimen geometry affected the melt behavior. The developed technique was effective in acquiring geometrical information on dynamic phenomena at high temperatures. The technique may provide a potential data set for the validation of numerical simulations.

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Reaction Behavior of B₄C Absorber Material with Stainless Steel and Zircaloy in Severe Light Water Reactor Accidents

Cited by 63 publications

References 5 publications

Investigation of the effect of B4C on the interaction of oxide melt and steel in a VVER-1000 vessel during a severe accident

Investigation of the effect of B4C on the interaction of oxide melt and steel in a VVER-1000 vessel during a severe accident

Zirconium carbide coating for corium experiments related to water-cooled and sodium-cooled reactors

Time-resolved visualization technique for eutectic reaction between boron carbide and stainless steel at high temperatures

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Reaction Behavior of B4C Absorber Material with Stainless Steel and Zircaloy in Severe Light Water Reactor Accidents

Cited by 63 publications

References 5 publications

Investigation of the effect of B4C on the interaction of oxide melt and steel in a VVER-1000 vessel during a severe accident

Investigation of the effect of B4C on the interaction of oxide melt and steel in a VVER-1000 vessel during a severe accident

Zirconium carbide coating for corium experiments related to water-cooled and sodium-cooled reactors

Time-resolved visualization technique for eutectic reaction between boron carbide and stainless steel at high temperatures

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Reaction Behavior of B₄C Absorber Material with Stainless Steel and Zircaloy in Severe Light Water Reactor Accidents