ENABLING MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY FOR NUCLEAR PROPULSION

FEW MATERIALS EXIST THAT POSSES USEFUL PROPERTIES IN HYDROGEN AT 2,750 K AND ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT OF A NUCLEAR REACTOR. BULK FABRICATION AND PROCESSING OF THOSE THAT DO EXIST, THE CERAMICS NIOBIUM CARBIDE AND ZIRCONIUM CARBIDE, HAVE NOT YET REACHED THE MATURITY REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION TO NUCLEAR REACTORS. THE VERSATILITY OF CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (CVD), HOWEVER, PERMITS THESE MATERIALS TO BE FABRICATED IN A UNIQUE GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION TO PRODUCE TAILORABLE THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES. PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE DEMONSTRATING THE FEASIBILITY OF FABRICATING STRUCTURAL AND INSULATING MATERIALS THAT OVERCOME THE LIMITATIONS OF STATE-OF-THE-ART MATERIALS CURRENTLY BASELINED FOR NUCLEAR PROPULSION DEVICES. THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE PRELIMINARY PROCESSING AND DESIGN DATA TO VERIFY THE VIABILITY OF THESE MATERIALS. TO MAXIMIZE THE PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT, IT WILL BE CONDUCTED IN COOPERATION WITH BABCOCK & WILCOX, EXPERTS IN PARTICLE BED REACTOR TECHNOLOGY.