Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Charles R Woods

Samuel A Worcester

Richard L Propst

Glenn S Galer

This is a process for making a very pure and very homogeneous material for use in lining the interior of zirconium alloy fuel element cladding. The improvement utilizes the forming of a consumable electrode from generally virgin sponge material, melting the consumable electrode in a multiple swept beam electron beam furnace with a feed rate between 1 and 20 inches per hour and then vacuum arc melting the EB melted material.

Combined electron beam and vacuum arc melting for barrier tube shell

This is a process for making a very pure and very homogeneous zirconium material for use in lining the interior of zirconium alloy fuel element cladding. The improvement utilizes the forming of consumable feed material from generally virgin sponge material, melting the consumable feed material in a multiple swept beam electron beam furnace with a feed rate generally between 0.1 and less than about 1.0 inch per hour and then vacuum arc melting the EB melted material.

Combined ultra slow electron beam and vacuum arc melting for barrier

This is a process for producing material for lining reactor fuel element claddings. Rather than using unalloyed zirconium, this invention provides for an alloy liner for the cladding. The process uses ultra-slow electron beam melting of zirconium, to give very low metallic impurities to reduce solid solution strengthening and second phase formation and property variability from lot to lot, while using alloying to reduce the susceptibility to steam corrosion. Oxygen is controlled to a very low level as well, and preferably only 0.1-0.4 tin is added to provide a low, but fabricable, hardness in the alloyed liner material.

Ultra slow EB melting to reduce reactor cladding

This is a material for lining reactor fuel element cladding. Rather than using unalloyed zirconium, this invention utilized for a 0.1-4% tin alloy liner for the cladding. The very low metallic impurities to reduce solid solution strengthening and second phase formation and property variability from lot to lot, while using alloying to reduce the susceptibility to steam corrosion. Preferably, oxygen is controlled to a very low level as well, to provide a low, but fabricable, hardness in the alloyed liner material.

Growing community of inventors

Ogden, UT, United States of America

Charles R Woods