SiC/SiC composite behavior in LWR conditions and under high temperature steam environment

C. Lorrette (1) , C. Sauder (1) , P. Billaud (1) , C. Hossepied (1) , G. Loupias (1) , J. Braun (1) , A. Michaux (1) , E. Torres (2) , F. Rebillat (2) , J. Bischoff (3) , A. Ambard (4)

1 CEA-DES (ex-DEN) - CEA-Direction des Energies (ex-Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire)
2 LCTS - Laboratoire des Composites Thermostructuraux
3 AREVA NP Lyon
4 EDF R&D - EDF R&D

Tubular nuclear-grade SiC/SiC composites produced by CEA were investigated in the present work as cladding material to enhance the accident tolerance of Light Water Reactors (LWRs). A first part reports a preliminary assessment of the behavior of SiC/SiC composite tubes in simulated relevant LWR conditions related with the manufacturing parameters. The dependence of the corrosion rate on the chemical composition of water is also investigated for a better understanding of the hydrothermal SiC corrosion mechanisms. Additionally, the ability of SiC/SiC composite tubes to preserve their geometry and maintain coolability under high temperature steam environment is examined. Oxidation tests are performed to confirm the favorable behavior and to evaluate the oxidation kinetics of the composite exposed to high-temperature steam (up to 1400°C) under pressure and under dynamic gas flow conditions.

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Expérimentale [nucl-ex]; Physique Nucléaire Théorique [nucl-th]

C. Lorrette, C. Sauder, P. Billaud, C. Hossepied, G. Loupias, et al.. SiC/SiC composite behavior in LWR conditions and under high temperature steam environment. Top Fuel 2015, Sep 2015, Zurich, Switzerland. ⟨cea-02492574⟩