New Materials and Coatings for Nuclear Technology

Abstract

The possibility of using new materials in nuclear and thermonuclear reactors is considered. Mixed mononitride (MN) with the addition of uranium nanopowder can be considered to be the most preferred fuel for the fast reactor. The following fuels are of interest for thermal neutron reactors: UO2.1, UN, U2N3, U3Si2with the addition of nanopowder of slightly enriched uranium or Be (BeO). Ceramic fuel containing depleted uranium with nano-additives of metallic uranium can be used in the blanket of a thermonuclear reactor. As a neutron multiplier in blanket, the long-lived minor actinides (237Np, 241 Am and 243 Am) can be used. There is a radioactive waste of nuclear reactors. Liquid lead and (or) its alloys have a number of advantages when cooling the core of a fast reactor or blanket of a thermonuclear reactor. The use of tungsten coatings of structural materials (stainless steel) contributes to solving the problem of corrosion and erosion in liquid lead. All innovations can be implemented within the framework of existing technologies.