In collaboration with the Department of Engineering Physics of Tsinghua University in China, scientists at the Russian State University of Nuclear Energy - Moscow Institute of Engineering studied the possibility of substituting zirconium alloys for nuclear reactor fuel elements using isotope-modified molybdenum and demonstrated that this approach can Improve the safety of nuclear reactors.The results published in the Journal of Chemical Engineering Research and Design magazine.
Nuclear fuel elements, sealed with a few centimeters of uranium dioxide pellets. Component cladding must have good corrosion resistance, corrosion resistance and heat resistance, but also can not affect the reactor neutron absorption.Currently, Russia's most commercial nuclear power plant shell Of the main material is zirconium alloy.But it will react positively with the water and generate heat to produce hydrogen and accelerate the degradation of the fuel rod coating in the water-cooled nuclear power plant accident is very dangerous, which is the main reason for the explosion in Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Therefore, scientists have been discussing the possibility of replacing the zirconium alloy with refractory metal molybdenum, which has the same good corrosion resistance as zirconium and higher thermal conductivity than zirconium.The study was conducted on a Russian mass-produced isotope modification Molybdenum, the design of separation equipment provides a knowledge base.
