Feasibility Study on the Sodium Compatibility Test for Fuel Cladding of SFR

A Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR), a reactor that uses fast neutrons as a fission process, is considered one of the most probable candidates in next-generation reactors because it can maximize the uranium utilization when compared to conventional water reactor. Liquid sodium is used as a coolant in a SFR, because it has superior efficiency of fast neutron economy and high thermal conductivity, which enables a high power core design. However, previous research reported that fuel cladding materials like austenitic and ferritic-martensitic steel (FMS) react sodium coolant so that it results in the loss of the thickness, intergranular attack, and carburization or decarburization process to induce the change of the mechanical property. Fuel cladding, a seamless tube which has approximately 0.5mm in thickness and 3m in length is the component which covers fuel to protect radioactive species from being released. Because of its smaller thickness, the mechanical properties of the cladding are easily affected by the small changes of material property. This paper summarizes the status of sodium-material compatibility facility and proposes the optimal option in the case of the SFR fuel cladding. Previous researches revealed that assessing in-situ mechanical property is important in the case of cladding material owing to its dimensional characteristic. Optimal test method for assessing sodium compatibility of the cladding tube can be proposed that pressurized creep test under the controlled liquid sodium environment