About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T26: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramics and Glasses for Nuclear Energy Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Sintered SiC and its Potential in Nuclear Energy Applications |
| Author(s) |
Caen Ang, Kip Wheeler, Cameron Hilliard, Brandon Shaver, Khalid Hattar, Miguel Crespillo, Takaaki Koyanagi |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Caen Ang |
| Abstract Scope |
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising material for nuclear applications, and key concepts that reach demonstration and pilot-level manufacturing are able to emphasize its favorable properties, while mitigating the corresponding disadvantages. Low-cost sintering of SiC has enabled several key concepts: encapsulated TRISO compacts in Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCM(R)) fuel; joining of SiC to SiC without using greatly dissimilar materials; and finally, cladding for isotopic fuels intended for nuclear battery concepts. Key commonalities in these applications include selective range of operational temperatures and small thermal gradients. In addition, variants of sintered SiC offer excellent properties after irradiation, and can even be integrated into a matrix for continuous-fiber reinforced composites. The advent of pressureless sintering of SiC, using transient eutectic phase routes with processing temperatures below ~2000K, open pathways for both new ideas and production scalability, provided that appropriate qualifications are conducted. |