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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Powering the future: How the DOE is fueling nuclear fuel cycle research and development
As global interest in nuclear energy surges, the United States must remain at the forefront of research and development to ensure national energy security, advance nuclear technologies, and promote international cooperation on safety and nonproliferation. A crucial step in achieving this is analyzing how funding and resources are allocated to better understand how to direct future research and development. The Department of Energy has spearheaded this effort by funding hundreds of research projects across the country through the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP). This initiative has empowered dozens of universities to collaborate toward a nuclear-friendly future.
Chongchong Tang, Martin Steinbrueck, Mirco Grosse, Sven Ulrich, Michael Stueber, Hans Juergen Seifert (KIT)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 694-700
Alumina-forming MAX phase ternary carbides are being considered as protective coatings on zirconium alloys as accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding because of their resistivity against high-temperature steam oxidation during accident scenarios. This study attempted to synthesize three types of Al-containing MAX phase carbides (Ti?AlC, Cr?AlC and Zr?AlC) as coatings on Zircaloy-4 substrates via deposition of elemental nanoscale multilayer thin films using magnetron sputtering, and subsequent thermal annealing in argon. Formation of Ti?AlC and Cr?AlC MAX phases was confirmed after annealing at 800°C and 550°C, respectively, while growth of Zr(Al)C carbide rather than Zr?AlC MAX phase was observed in the Zr-C-Al system. Oxidation of the three coated samples at 1000°C in steam for 1 hour revealed no protective effect of the Ti?AlC and Zr(Al)C coatings with significant spallation and cracking. The Cr?AlC coatings possess superior oxidation resistance and self-healing capability with a thin and dense ?-Al?O? layer growth on the surface, which shows good promise as a candidate for coated ATF claddings.
