Development of Carbon / Carbon Composites for Nuclear Reactor Applications

摘要

Carbon and carbon fiber reinforced materials are promising materials for use in nuclear reactors, due to their excellent thermal and mechanical properties. In the present studies, experiments were carried out to prepare carbon-carbon(C/C) composites using non-graphitizing precursors such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber and phenolic resin matrix. A typical sample of C/C composite at 40 vol% of PAN fibre showed to be amorphous. These fibers have been used to make a 2-D preform and phenol formaldehyde resin was impregnated, cured and carbonized to form the matrix. Impregnation was carried out under different conditions, and its effect was studied by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and XPS. The C/C composite samples have been irradiated by neutrons at neutron flux of 1x10~(12)n/cm~2/s with varying fluences at 40°C. The stored energy is very less about 23.4 J/g and 43.3 J/g as compared to irradiated graphite. The composites were coated with silicon carbide (SiC) for improved oxidation resistance by chemical vapor deposition technique.