Materials requirements for liquid metal fast breeder reactors
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AND
K. E. HORTON
M a t e r i a l s r e q u i r e m e n t s for Liquid Metal F a s t B r e e d e r R e a c t o r s (LMFBRs) a r e quite v a r i e d with r e q u i s i t e a p p l i c a t i o n s r a n g i n g f r o m e x - r e a c t o r c o m p o n e n t s such as piping, pumps, s t e a m g e n e r a t o r s and heat e x c h a n g e r s to i n - r e a c t o r c o m p o n e n t s such as heavy s e c t i o n r e a c t o r v e s s e l s , core s t r u c t u r a l s , fuel pin cladding and s u b a s s e m b l y flow ducts. R e q u i r e m e n t s for e x - r e a c t o r component m a t e r i a l s include: good high t e m p e r a t u r e tensile, c r e e p and fatigue p r o p e r t i e s ; c o m p a t i b i l i t y with high t e m p e r a t u r e flowing sodium; r e s i s t a n c e to wear, s t r e s s c o r r o s i o n cracking, and c r a c k propagation; and good weldab i l i t y . R e q u i r e m e n t s for i n - r e a c t o r c o m p o n e n t s include most of those cited above for exr e a c t o r components as s u p p l e m e n t e d by the following: r e s i s t a n c e to r a d i a t i o n e m b r i t t l e ment, s w e l l i n g and r a d i a t i o n enhanced creep; good n e u t r o n i c s ; c o m p a t i b i l i t y with fuel and f i s s i o n product m a t e r i a l s ; and r e s i s t a n c e to m a s s t r a n s f e r v i a flowing sodium. E x t e n s i v e p r o g r a m s a r e c u r r e n t l y in place in a n u m b e r of n a t i o n a l l a b o r a t o r i e s and i n d u s t r i a l cont r a c t o r s to a d d r e s s the m a t e r i a l s r e q u i r e m e n t s for L M F B R s . T h e s e p r o g r a m s a r e focused on m e e t i n g the n e a r t e r m r e q u i r e m e n t s of e a r l y L M F B R s such as the F a s t Flux T e s t F a c i l i t y and the Clinch R i v e r B r e e d e r R e a c t o r as well as the longer t e r m r e q u i r e m e n t s of l a r g e r n e a r - c o m m e r c i a l and f u l l y - c o m m e r c i a l r e a c t o r s . " T H E capability of the Nation to draw on n u c l e a r e n e r g y to m e e t the e l e c t r i c and other e n e r g y r e q u i r e m e n t s of this c o u n t r y beyond this c e n t u r y will depend on having a v a i l a b l e a p r o v e n , e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y safe c o m m e r c i a l b r e e d e r s y s t e m by the 1990's that can effectively use total u r a n i u m r e s o u r c e s - i . e . , U-238 as well as U-235. The Liquid Metal F a s t B r e e d e r Rea c t o r (LMFBR) concept, a technology that has been d e m o n s t r a t e d to be t e c h n i c a l l y f e a s i b l e , is the chief candidate for m e e t i n g this need. ''1 A c c o r d i n g l y , the E n e r g y R e s e a r c h and D e v e l o p m e n t A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (ERDA) has identified the L M F B R p r o g r a m as a highp r i o r i t y effort which m u s t continue to be p u r s u e d on a v i g o r o u s b a s i s in o r d e r to p e r m i t an ERDA d e c i s i o n in 1986 on c o m m e r c i a l i z a t i o n of this technology. F i g u r e 1 (R
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