About the book

This is a college textbook. The book discusses the requirements imposed on reactor materials. It characterises coolants and discusses irradiation-produced changes taking place therein. The book examines the properties of structural and nuclear fuel materials and the manner in which they are influenced by service factors. The book also considers on an up-to-date level, strength, compatibility, radiation, and corrosion resistance of the structural and fuel materials. The book will be of primary value to students of power engineering and to engineers working in the fields involving nuclear power.

Preface 1

1. Structural Scheme: Nuclear Power Plant 9

2. Requirements Imposed on Reactor Materials 19

2.1 General 19

2.2 Requirements Imposed on Reactor or Core Materials 21

2.3 Requirements Imposed on the Materials of Components Outside the Core 25

2.4 Materials Utilized in Reactor Engineering 25

3. Strength, Compatibility, and Radiation Stability of Reactor Materials 28

3.1 Defects of Crystal Lattice 28

3.2 High-temperature Strength and Deformation of Metals 43

3.3 Compatibility of Reactor Materials 51

3.4 Radiation Stability of Structural Materials 56

4. Coolants in Nuclear Reactors 69

4.1 Liquid-metal Coolants 69

4.2 Organic Coolants 83

4.3 Gas Coolants 84

4.4 Water Coolant 95

5. Corrosion of Reactor Materials 111

5.1 Classification of Corrosion Processes 111

5.2 Electrical Double Layer 161

5.3 Kinetics of Cathodic Processes 121

5.4 Kinetics of Anodic Processes 172

5.5 Local Corrosion 341

5.6 Influence of Various Factors on Corrosion of Reactor Materials 41

5.7 Effect of Radiation on Corrosion 94

6. Water Radiolysis 151

6.1 Nuclear Reactor Radiation 152

6.2 Interaction of Radiation with Matter 451

6.3 Theory of Free Radicals 61

6.4 Radiolysis in Nuclear Reactors 761

7. Fuel Materials 171

7.1 Physical and Mechanical Properties of Uranium 171

7.2 Radiation Growth of Uranium 175

7.3 Gas Swelling 171

7.4 Effect of Radiation on Mechanical Properties of Uranium 180

7.5 Uranium Alloys 181

7.6 Uranium Compatibility with Cladding Materials and Uranium Corrosion 181

7.7 Plutonium and Its Alloys 190

7.8 Thorium and Its Alloys 196

7.9 Ceramic and Dispersion Nuclear Fuel 206

8. Structural Materials of Core 215

8.1 Berrylium 215

8.2 Graphite 218

8.3 Control and Shielding Materials 226

8.4 Magneisum and its Alloys 231

8.5 Aluminium and its Alloys 234

8.6 Zicronium and its Alloys 246

8.7 Austenitic Chrome-nickel Stainless Steel 254

9. Materials of Reactor Vessel and Other Components of Nuclear Power Plants 268

9.1 Perlitic Steels 268

9.2 Chromium Stainless Steels 282

9.3 Copper Alloys 295

9.4 Titanium and Its Alloys 312

Appendices 299

References 303

Index 305