Study on an innovative fast reactor utilizing hydride neutron absorber development of coating technique on cladding inner surface

The study to extend the control rod life of the Fast Reactor (FR) and to compress its excess reactivity are being performed by adopting the hafnium hydride (HfHx) for control rod material and by using the gadolinium hydride (GdHx) burnable poison (BP) for the reactivity recession, respectively. In the program named 'Study on an innovative Fast Reactor utilizing Hydride Neutron Absorber', the coating technique on inner surface of cladding has been developed to prevent hydrogen transfer through cladding at occasions of the temperature rise events. The Cr2O3 coating (chromizing) and the Al2O3 coating (calorizing) were selected for the coating techniques from the viewpoint of stability under in-core conditions. Following tests were performed for austenitic steel SUS316 which is widely used in FRs and for ferritic steel SUS430. The SUS430 was selected to simulate the ODS (Oxide Dispersion Strengthened ferritic steel) which is the attractive candidate material for the high burn-up FR. Examination of coating processing conditions by using short length claddings (100-200 mm). Approval of coating conditions to mock-up length cladding (1000 mm). Measurement of hydrogen transfer coefficient. Then appropriate conditions for coating were clarified and the formation of homogeneous films of both chromizing and calorizing was achieved on the inner surfaces of long length claddings (1000 mm). The hydrogen transfer experiments showed that the hydrogen transfer coefficient of coated SUS316 and SUS430 can be reduced to below 1/10 of SUS316 raw material. (author)