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High-temperature plumbing and advanced reactors
The use of nuclear fission power and its role in impacting climate change is hotly debated. Fission advocates argue that short-term solutions would involve the rapid deployment of Gen III+ nuclear reactors, like Vogtle-3 and -4, while long-term climate change impact would rely on the creation and implementation of Gen IV reactors, “inherently safe” reactors that use passive laws of physics and chemistry rather than active controls such as valves and pumps to operate safely. While Gen IV reactors vary in many ways, one thing unites nearly all of them: the use of exotic, high-temperature coolants. These fluids, like molten salts and liquid metals, can enable reactor engineers to design much safer nuclear reactors—ultimately because the boiling point of each fluid is extremely high. Fluids that remain liquid over large temperature ranges can provide good heat transfer through many demanding conditions, all with minimal pressurization. Although the most apparent use for these fluids is advanced fission power, they have the potential to be applied to other power generation sources such as fusion, thermal storage, solar, or high-temperature process heat.1–3
Kevin J. Chan, Preet M. Singh
Nuclear Technology | Volume 206 | Number 11 | November 2020 | Pages 1751-1768
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1809311
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Austenitic alloys such as austenitic stainless steels and Ni-based alloys have been specified as container materials for molten salt reactors (MSRs). In MSR environments, these alloys are susceptible to carburization because (1) graphite components provide a source of carbon, (2) oxide films are not protective in molten halide salts, and (3) MSR operating temperatures fall within the temperature range of carbide formation. Carburization may occur simultaneously with corrosion by the selective dissolution of Cr. To study the corrosion behavior of a carburized microstructure, Hastelloy N, Haynes 244, Haynes 230, and Incoloy 800H samples were pre-carburized at 900°C in a hydrocarbon atmosphere prior to exposure to molten FLiNaK at 700°C. Pre-carburized samples featured a carbide-rich microstructure, particularly near the sample surface. The face-centered-cubic matrix of pre-carburized samples was found to be depleted in Cr, Mo, and to a lesser extent W, which are strong carbide-forming elements. Chromium dissolution in pre-carburized samples was suppressed compared to untreated samples due to the reduction in Cr activity. However, selective attack of the connected carbide structure along grain boundaries was observed in pre-carburized Haynes 230 and Incoloy 800H, which are alloys with high Cr content.