Estimation of the oxidation and hydrogen absorption behavior during simulated accidental condition of Zircaloy-4 with Cr coating formed by electrochemical plating

Kawai, Keito*; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Fujimura, Yuki; Kondo, Keietsu; Abe, Yosuke; Mohamad, A. B.; Pham, V. H.; Ishikawa, Norito; Ishijima, Yasuhiro; Ioka, Ikuo; et al.

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi (Internet), 24(3), p.82 - 98, 2025/08

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J24.015

An accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding, which is more resistant to accidents than the conventional Zircaloy cladding, is under development. One of these claddings is a chromium (Cr)-coated cladding with an outer surface coated with Cr, which is expected to improve the resistance to high-temperature steam oxidation. In this study, electrochemical plating was applied to coat a Cr layer on the cladding outer surface, and its properties under accidental conditions were evaluated. In a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), the cladding will burst and both the outer and inner surfaces of the cladding will be oxidized. Thus, as-received Zircaloy-4 and Cr-coated claddings were tested for oxidation in high-temperature steam to investigate differences in oxidation behavior, hydrogen absorption behavior, and mechanical properties after oxidation. Oxidation tests were conducted using a thermobalance. The amount of oxidation of coated samples decreased by half compared with that of uncoated samples, indicating that the coating was effective in inhibiting oxidation. However, the hydrogen absorption of coated samples was found to be higher than that of uncoated samples. In this paper, we discuss the mechanism behind this difference in hydrogen absorption and its effect on mechanical properties.

Spin dependence in the -wave resonance of +

Okudaira, Takuya*; Nakabe, Rintaro*; Auton, C. J.*; Endo, Shunsuke; Fujioka, Hiroyuki*; Gudkov, V.*; Ide, Ikuo*; Ino, Takashi*; Ishikado, Motoyuki*; Kambara, Wataru*; et al.

Physical Review C, 109(4), p.044606_1 - 044606_9, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.109.044606

Practical development of accident tolerant FeCrAl-ODS fuel claddings for BWRs in Japan

Sakamoto, Kan*; Sakaguchi, Chisato*; Miura, Yusuke*; Yokoyama, Hironori*; Matsunaga, Junji*; Kasahara, Hideyuki*; Miyata, Hajime*; Ioka, Ikuo; Yamashita, Shinichiro; Osaka, Masahiko

Proceedings of 2023 Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting (WRFPM 2023), p.20 - 28, 2024/00

An oxide-dispersion-strengthened FeCrAl (FeCrAl-ODS) has been continuously developed in Japan as a promising candidate alloy for the accident tolerant fuel cladding of BWRs (boiling water reactors). This paper will introduce the progress in practical development of accident tolerant FeCrAl-ODS fuel claddings for BWRs in the program fully or partially supported and organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan. The experimental studies have been conducted to obtain and accumulate key material properties of FeCrAl-ODS fuel claddings to support the evaluations in the analytical studies. For the evaluation at normal operation condition, fatigue test of unirradiated fuel cladding and tensile test of irradiated sheet specimen were conducted. In the fatigue test, a tensile-compressive bending strain was loaded on the C-shaped specimens by cyclic movement of a push-pull rod. Test temperature was 623 K, frequency was 1 Hz, and strain amplitude were 0.27, 0.34 and 0.55 %. The results of fatigue tests demonstrated that cycles to failure of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding were higher than that of the O'Donnell and Langer fatigue curve of Zr-based alloy. The tensile test was conducted in a hot cell using the SS-J2 type specimens at ambient temperature, 573 K and 623 K at a strain rate of 10-3 s-1. The specimens were irradiated up to 7.8 and 13 dpa at 573 K in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at ORNL. The irradiation hardening and ductility loss obtained at 7.8 and 13 dpa were comparable to those at 3.9 dpa.

Development of accident tolerant FeCrAl-ODS fuel cladding for BWRs in Japan

Sakamoto, Kan*; Miura, Yusuke*; Ukai, Shigeharu; Ono, Naoko*; Kimura, Akihiko*; Yamaji, Akifumi*; Kusagaya, Kazuyuki*; Takano, Sho*; Kondo, Takao*; Ikegawa, Tomohiko*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 557, p.153276_1 - 153276_11, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153276

A FeCrAl-oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy is a promising candidate alloy for the accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding of light water reactors (LWRs) and being developed in Japan recently. This paper will introduce the progress of development of accident tolerant FeCrAl-ODS fuel claddings for boiling water reactors (BWRs) in Japan. Both the experimental and the analytical studies have been performed to evaluate the influence of implementation of the FeCrAl-ODS fuel claddings to the current BWRs. The experimental studies have been conducted to obtain and accumulate key material properties of FeCrAl-ODS fuel claddings by using bar, sheet and tube-shaped materials to support the evaluations in the analytical studies. At the end of paper, the challenges and prospects found in the program are highlighted to enhance international collaborations to accelerate the development of FeCrAl-ODS fuel cladding.

Corrosion property of container using hybrid material for thermal decomposition process of sulfuric acid

Ioka, Ikuo; Kuriki, Yoshiro*; Iwatsuki, Jin; Kawai, Daisuke*; Yokota, Hiroki*; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Kubo, Shinji

Proceedings of 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 2020) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE2020-16783

A thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur processes (IS process) is one of candidates for the large-scale production of hydrogen using heat from solar power. Severe corrosive environment which is thermal decomposition of sulfuric acid exists in the IS process. A hybrid material with the corrosion-resistance and the ductility was made by a plasma spraying and laser treatment. The specimen had excellent corrosion resistance in the condition of 95 mass% boiling sulfuric acid. This was attributed to the formation of SiO on the surface. The container using the hybrid material was experimentally made. The pre-oxidized container using hybrid technique was prepared for the corrosion test in boiling sulfuric acid to evaluate the corrosion characteristics of the container. There was no detaching of the surface with the weld part and the R processing. We proposed the calculation method of corrosion rate from the ions dissolved in the sulfuric acid solution after the corrosion test.

Overview of accident-tolerant fuel R&D program in Japan

Yamashita, Shinichiro; Ioka, Ikuo; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Kawanishi, Tomohiro; Kurata, Masaki; Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Fukahori, Tokio; Nozawa, Takashi*; Sato, Daiki*; Murakami, Nozomu*; et al.

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.206 - 216, 2019/09

After the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant, research and development (R&D) program for establishing technical basis of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) started from 2015 in Japan. Since then, both experimental and analytical studies necessary for designing a new light water reactor (LWR) core with ATF candidate materials are being conducted within the Japanese ATF R&D Consortium for implementing ATF to the existing LWRs, accompanying with various technological developments required. Until now, we have accumulated experimental data of the candidate materials by out-of-pile tests, developed fuel evaluation codes to apply to the ATF candidate materials, and evaluated fuel behavior simulating operational and accidental conditions by the developed codes. In this paper, the R&D progresses of the ATF candidate materials considered in Japan are reviewed based on the information available such as proceedings of international conference and academic papers, providing an overview of ATF program in Japan.

Development of container using plasma sprayed and laser treated material for sulfuric acid decomposition of thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur process

Ioka, Ikuo; Kuriki, Yoshiro*; Iwatsuki, Jin; Kubo, Shinji; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Sakaba, Nariaki

Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2019/05

A thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur processes (IS process) is one of candidates for the large-scale production of hydrogen using heat from solar power. Severe corrosive environment which is thermal decomposition of sulfuric acid exists in the IS process. A hybrid material with the corrosion-resistance and the ductility was made by a plasma spraying and laser treatment. The specimen had excellent corrosion resistance in the condition of 95 mass% boiling sulfuric acid. This was attributed to the formation of SiO on the surface. To confirm the production characteristics of a container using the hybrid material, the container which has a welded part, a chamfer, a curved surface was experimentally made. There was no detachment in the plasma spraying and laser treated layer of the container after the laser treatment.

Characteristics of hybrid tube with Fe-high Si alloy lining by centrifugal casting for thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur process

Ioka, Ikuo; Kuriki, Yoshiro*; Iwatsuki, Jin; Kubo, Shinji; Katsuyama, Jinya; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 3(3), p.15-00619_1 - 15-00619_8, 2016/06

http://doi.org/10.1299/mej.15-00619

The IS process for hydrogen production has been developed by JAEA as application of a high-temperature gas cooled reactor. The IS process includes a severe corrosion environment which is made to boil and decompose concentrated sulfuric acid. The two-layer pipe consisted of the Fe-high Si alloy with boiling sulfuric acid-resistant and the carbon steel with the ductility was produced by centrifugal casting. The evaluation of characteristics was carried out. The Fe-high Si alloy lining showed enough corrosion resistance in boiling sulfuric acid. As evaluation of the Fe / Fe-high Si alloy interface, thermal cycle test was executed. There was no detachment of the interface though the cracks were generated in the vicinity of the interface. It is believed that the cracks parallel to the interface is attributed to the tensile stress during the thermal cyclic test using FEM analysis and the flake graphite precipitate. It was confirmed that the interface possessed the enough strength.

Recent activities in the field of nuclear materials and nuclear fuels

Ioka, Ikuo; Shibayama, Tamaki*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 51(5), p.735 - 736, 2014/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2014.887482

The research and development of nuclear materials and fuels is aggressively advanced for the improvement of reliability or performance of nuclear systems, such as LWR, FBR, fusion reactor and so on. Many of outstanding researches are presented by the Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology. The latest activity in nuclear materials and fuels was introduced in this summary by surveying the journal.

Corrosion resistance of structural materials in high-temperature aqueous sulfuric acids in thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur process

Kubo, Shinji; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Ioka, Ikuo; Onuki, Kaoru; Yamaguchi, Akihisa*

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 38(16), p.6577 - 6585, 2013/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.01.106

Very harsh environments exist in the iodine-sulfur process for hydrogen production. Structural materials for sulfuric acid vaporizers and concentrators are exposed to high-temperature corrosive environments. Immersion tests were carried out to evaluate the corrosion resistance of ceramics and to evaluate corrosion-resistant metals exposed to environments of aqueous sulfuric acids at temperatures of 320, 380, and 460C, and pressure of 2 MPa. The aqueous sulfuric acid concentrations for the temperatures were 75, 85, and 95 wt%, respectively. Ceramic specimens of silicon carbides (SiC), silicon impregnated silicon carbides (Si-SiC), and silicon nitrides (SiN) showed excellent corrosion resistance from weight loss measurements after exposure to 75, 85, and 95 wt% sulfuric acid. High-silicon irons with silicon content of 20 wt% showed a fair measure of corrosion resistance. However, evidence of crack formation was detected via microscopy. Silicon enriched steels severely suffered from uniform corrosion with a corrosion rate in 95 wt% sulfuric acid of approximately 1 gmh. Among the tested materials, the ceramics SiC, Si-SiC, and SiN were found to be suitable candidates for structural materials in direct contact with the considered environments.