Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, 2; Kinetic study on eutectic reaction process between stainless steel with low boron carbide concentration and stainless steel

Kikuchi, Shin  ; Takai, Toshihide  ; Yamano, Hidemasa   ; Sakamoto, Kan*

In a postulated severe accidental condition of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), eutectic melting between boron carbide (BC) and stainless steel (SS) may occur. Thus, behavior of BC-SS eutectic melting is one of the phenomena to evaluate the core disruptive accidents in SFR. In this study, the reaction experiments using SS crucibles and the pellets of SS with low BC concentration as samples were performed to simulate the state of the reaction interface in which the eutectic reaction and interdiffusion of BC-SS have progressed to a certain extent. It was revealed that the rate constants of eutectic reaction between SS and SS with low BC concentration are smaller than that of BC-SS eutectic reaction at high temperatures.