• Tang, Chonchong
• Loo, Koba Van
• Grosse, Mirco M.
• Fonzo, F. Di
• Lambrinou, Konstantza
• Steinbrück, Martin
• Frankberg, Erkka

Abstract

<p>The aim of the IL TROVATORE project is the development, characterization and testing of potential materials for nuclear fuel rod claddings with enhanced accident tolerance. One main task of the ongoing investigations are testing of the cladding/coolant interactions under operational as well as accident conditions. A wide range of materials was already tested: oxides, MAX phases, SiC and iron based alloys. The paper gives a rough overview about the results of autoclave tests simulating operational conditions and steam oxidation tests at 1200°C covering transient design basis accident conditions. The results of corrosion tests demonstrates the excellent performance of protective zirconia layers under operational conditions. Whereas chromia shows a low corrosion rate too, the water corrosion of alumina is problematic. The reaction rates obtained for Cr2AlC MAX phase depends strongly on the porosity of the material. Dense material behaves well whereas the corrosion of porous material is fast. The best performance in the steam oxidation tests at 1200°C shows SiC followed by dense Cr2AlC MAX phase, FeCrAl and high entropy alloys. Additional information concerning the reaction rates were obtained by measuring the hydrogen release. For several materials it could be shown that not only processes occur resulting in mass gain but simultaneous reactions take place resulting in a mass loss.</p>

Topics

• porous
• impedance spectroscopy
• corrosion
• phase
• Hydrogen
• iron
• porosity