Understanding the reaction of nuclear graphite with molecular oxygen: Kinetics, transport, and structural evolution

JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS

卷:493

Review

Kane, Joshua J.¹  Contescu, Cristian I.²  Smith, Rebecca E.¹  Strydom, Gerhard³  Windes, William E.¹ 

[1] Idaho Natl Lab, Mat Sci & Engn Dept, Energy & Environm Sci & Technol, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 USA

[2] Oak Ridge Natl Lab, Mat Sci & Technol Div, Oak Ridge, TN USA

[3] Idaho Natl Lab, Reactor Phys Design & Anal, Nucl Sci & Technol, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 USA

关键词: Graphite;    Oxidation;    Intrinsic kinetic model;    Microstructure;    Kinetics;    Mass transport;    Structural evolution;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.06.001

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

For the next generation of nuclear reactors, HTGRs specifically, an unlikely air ingress warrants inclusion in the license applications of many international regulators. Much research on oxidation rates of various graphite grades under a number of conditions has been undertaken to address such an event. However, consequences to the reactor result from the microstructural changes to the graphite rather than directly from oxidation. The microstructure is inherent to a graphite's properties and ultimately degradation to the graphite's performance must be determined to establish the safety of reactor design. To understand the oxidation induced microstructural change and its corresponding impact on performance, a thorough understanding of the reaction system is needed. This article provides a thorough review of the graphite-molecular oxygen reaction in terms of kinetics, mass and energy transport, and structural evolution: all three play a significant role in the observed rate of graphite oxidation. These provide the foundations of a microstructurally informed model for the graphite-molecular oxygen reaction system, a model kinetically independent of graphite grade, and capable of describing both the observed and local oxidation rates under a wide range of conditions applicable to air-ingress. Published by Elsevier B.V.

【 授权许可】

Free