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Sumita, Junya; Shibata, Taiju; Sawa, Kazuhiro; Fujita, Ichiro; Ohashi, Jun*; Takizawa, Kentaro*; Kim, W.*; Park, J.*
Ceramic Materials for Energy Applications; Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings, Vol.32, No.9, p.1 - 12, 2011/11
Since the temperature condition in Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), one of the Generation-IV reactor systems, is severe, the application of heat-resistant carbon fiber reinforced carbon matrix composite (C/C composite) for control rod elements is one of the important subjects for the VHTR development. JAEA focuses on the application of two-dimensional (2D-) C/C composites for control rod. The 2D-C/C composite has an anisotropy in properties for parallel and perpendicular to lamina directions. Irradiation effects of the 2D-C/C composite also show anisotropic behavior. It is hence important to consider the anisotropy in control rod design. To investigate the irradiation effects of the 2D-C/C composite on properties, irradiation test and post irradiation examination (PIE) were carried out and the irradiation effects were evaluated for the both directions. Since the C/C composite is composed of fibers and matrix, this geometry should be considered to evaluate the crack propagation in the composite. To assess the fracture behavior with crack propagation, bending test was carried out assuming a crack in the control rod and cracks in specimens were observed. This paper describes the irradiation effects of the 2D-C/C composite based on the PIE results considering the anisotropy. The evaluation results on equivalent fracture toughness and fracture mechanism are also discussed.
Kim, W. J.*; Seo, M.-R.*; Park, J. Y.*; Sumita, Junya; Shibata, Taiju; Sawa, Kazuhiro
no journal, ,
Carbon-carbon (C/C) composites have been widely used for high-temperature structural applications because they possess excellent mechanical properties such as high specific strength and thermal shock resistance. In the nuclear industry, the composites have also been considered for plasma facing materials in fusion reactors and high-temperature structural parts in gas cooled reactors. In the high-temperature gas cooled reactor, the composites are being considered for the application of various high-temperature structural parts such as control rod components, core restraint belts, tie rods, upper plenum shroud, hot duct insulation cover sheets, and floor blocks. However, the carbon based materials are susceptible to oxidation at temperatures above 400 
C. Therefore, the oxidation behavior and property degradation at high temperature under impure He or in air in case of accidental air ingress should be evaluated before the deployment of composites. In this study, the oxidation behavior of several nuclear-grade C/C composites was evaluated at various temperatures. Thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were also measured before and after oxidation. The oxidation experiments were performed in range of 500 to 1100 C under air or Ar atmosphere. Thermal diffusivity, flexural strength, tensile strength, and interlaminar shear strength of as-received and oxidized specimens were evaluated.
