METHODS FOR PROTECTING FUEL-ELEMENT CLADDING FROM CORROSION IN LEAD COOLANT AND THE HEAT-TRANSFER SUBLAYER

摘要

The results of investigations of the corrosion of commercial and experimental steels in lead and the possibilities of corrosion protection are presented. The effect of lead coolant and the lead heat-transfer sublayer on fuel-element cladding are examined. Methods based on thermodynamic calculations and experimental data are proposed for protecting fuel element cladding in a lead-cooled reactor from the corrosive effect of the coolant by creating a new corrosion resistant chromium steel and from the corrosive effect of the heat-transfer sublayer by alloying with the components of steel. The results of this work have been implemented in the experimental fuel elements for the BREST-OD-300 reactor which were irradiated in a BOR-60 reactor.