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Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
C. C. Li, W. R. Johnson, L. D. Thompson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 66 | Number 2 | August 1984 | Pages 439-464
D.Gas/Metal Reaction | Status of Metallic Materials Development for Application in Advanced High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor / Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT84-A33446
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The influence of a simulated advanced reactor helium environment, containing 50 Pa H2/5 Pa CH4/5 Pa CO/∼0.1 Pa H2O, on the mechanical properties of two heats of Hastelloy alloy X is discussed. Simultaneous exposures in air and controlled impurity helium at temperatures in the range of 650 to 1000°C for times of 3000 h or more were performed. A combination of tensile testing, Charpy V-notch impact toughness testing, and creep testing was used to study the effects of reactor helium/metal interactions on the mechanical behavior of this alloy. Carburization was identified as the primary corrosion phenomenon. Increasing exposure time and temperature were observed to increase the depth of carburization. The increase in carbon concentration in the carburized zone suppressed the additional formation of M6C, which is observed in air-aged specimens, and resulted in the precipitation of M23C6 a chromium-rich carbide variant. The precipitation of M23C6 in the carburized zone occurred primarily along grain and twin boundaries; matrix precipitation, however, was also observed, the degree of which depended on exposure temperature. Strength and impact toughness properties were found to be controlled primarily by thermal aging reactions, with only a small effect related to the carburization. Although tensile and creep ductilities were decreased as a result of carburization, substantial ductility remained. Variation was observed between the two heats, the finer grained heat appearing to be weaker in the high-temperature creep tests and also possibly more susceptible to a loss of creep strength as a result of carburization.
