Design and evaluation of an optimized W/Cu interlayer for W monoblock components

Divertor plasma-facing components of future fusion reactors should be able to withstand heat fluxes of 10-20 MW/m² in stationary operation. Tungsten blocks with an inner cooling tube made of CuCr1Zr, so-called monoblocks, are potential candidates for such water-cooled components. To increase the strength and reliability of the interface between the W and the cooling tube of a Cu-based alloy (CuCr1Zr), a novel advanced W-fibre/Cu metal matrix composite (MMC) was developed for operation temperatures up to 550 °C. Based on optimization results to enhance the adhesion between fibre and matrix, W fibres (W_f) were chemically etched, coated by physical vapour deposition with a continuously graded W/Cu_PVD interlayer and then heated to 800 °C. The W_f/Cu MMC was implemented by hot-isostatic pressing and brazing process in monoblock mock-ups reinforcing the interface between the plasma-facing material and the cooling channel. The suitability of the MMC as an efficient heat sink interface for water-cooled divertor components was tested in the high heat flux (HHF) facility GLADIS. Predictions from finite element simulations of the thermal behaviour of the component under loading conditions were confirmed by the HHF tests. The W_f/Cu MMC interlayer of the mock-ups survived cyclic heat loads above 10 MW/m² without any damage. One W block of each tested mock-up showed stable thermal behaviour at heat fluxes of up to 10.5 MW/m².     

The Effects of Nonuniform Thermal Boundary Condition on Thermal Stress Calculation of Water-Cooled W/Cu Divertors

The thermal boundary condition has very important effects on the accuracy of thermal stress calculation of a water-cooled W/Cu divertor. In this paper, phase-change heat transfer was simulated based on the Euler homogeneous phase model, and local differences of liquid physical properties were considered under one-sided high heating conditions. The steady-state temperature field and thermal stress field under nonuniform thermal boundary conditions were obtained through numerical calculation. By comparison with the case of traditional uniform thermal boundary conditions, the results show that the distribution of thermal stress under nonuniform thermal boundary conditions exhibits tbe same trend as that under uniform thermal boundary conditions, but is larger in value. The maximum difference of maximum von Mises stress is up to 42% under the highest heating conditions. These results provide a valuable reference for the thermal stress caleulat.ion of water-cooled W/Cu divertors.     

Tensile properties of K-doped W–3%Re

In this work, the tensile properties of K-doped W–3%Re were investigated. This material was fabricated by powder metallurgy and hot rolling on an industrial scale. It is expected that there would be improvement of the high-temperature strength, an increase of the recrystallization temperature, and a decrease in the ductile–brittle transition temperature (DBTT) of pure tungsten due to the dispersion of K bubbles and the addition of 3% Re. In addition, suppression of the formation of irradiation-induced defect clusters is also expected. Tensile tests in the temperature range from room temperature to 1800 °C were conducted. After the tensile tests, fracture surface observations were carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The tensile strength decreased with increasing test temperature. Elongation of K-doped W–3%Re was observed above 500 °C. The results of fracture surface observation showed that delamination of the layered structure occurred at 500, 700, and 900 °C and cracking along the grain boundaries occurred at 1500 and 1800 °C.     

Solubility of actinide surrogates in nuclear glasses

This paper discusses the results of a study of actinide surrogates in a nuclear borosilicate glass to understand the effect of processing conditions (temperature and oxidizing versus reducing conditions) on the solubility limits of these elements. The incorporation of cerium oxide, hafnium oxide, and neodymium oxide in this borosilicate glass was investigated. Cerium is a possible surrogate for tetravalent and trivalent actinides, hafnium for tetravalent actinides, and neodymium for trivalent actinides. The material homogeneity was studied by optical, scanning electron microscopy. Cerium L_III XANES spectroscopy showed that the Ce³⁺/Ce_total ratio increased from about 0.5 to 0.9 as the processing temperature increased from 1100 to 1400 °C. Cerium L_III XANES spectroscopy also confirmed that the increased Ce solubility in glasses melted under reducing conditions was due to complete reduction of all the cerium in the glass. The most significant results pointed out in the current study are that the solubility limits of the actinide surrogates increases with the processing temperature and that Ce³⁺ is shown to be more soluble than Ce⁴⁺ in this borosilicate glass.     

Modelling the activity of I in the primary coolant of a CANDU reactor

A mathematical treatment has been developed to describe the activity levels of ¹²⁹I as a function of time in the primary heat transport system during constant power operation and for a reactor shutdown situation. The model accounts for a release of fission-product iodine from defective fuel rods and tramp uranium contamination on in-core surfaces. The physical transport constants of the model are derived from a coolant activity analysis of the short-lived radioiodine species. An estimate of 3×10⁻⁹ has been determined for the coolant activity ratio of ¹²⁹I/¹³¹I in a CANDU Nuclear Generating Station (NGS), which is in reasonable agreement with that observed in the primary coolant and for plant test resin columns from pressurized and boiling water reactor plants. The model has been further applied to a CANDU NGS, by fitting it to the observed short-lived iodine and long-lived cesium data, to yield a coolant activity ratio of ∼2×10⁻⁸ for ¹²⁹I/¹³⁷Cs. This ratio can be used to estimate the levels of ¹²⁹I in reactor waste based on a measurement of the activity of ¹³⁷Cs.     

UO2 dissolution in Boom Clay conditions

The solubility of uranium dioxide (UO₂) was measured in real and synthetic Boom Clay waters with varying concentrations of humic acids and carbonate under reducing conditions at 20 °C. Uranium concentrations in function of time suggest the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) by the humic acids which is occurring faster in real clay water than in synthetic clay waters. Humic acids induce also a competition to complex U(VI) in carbonate-containing solution, but they are not able to control the uranium concentration at high bicarbonate concentration (0.02 mol dm⁻³). Nevertheless they may play a role at low carbonate concentration. In our experimental conditions, the geochemical calculations indicate that two uranium secondary phases (U₄O₉ and UO_2(c)) are susceptible to control the uranium concentration in solution. These calculations are in good agreement with results of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At the end of tests, uranium concentrations reach steady-state values between 3 × 10⁻⁸ and 5 × 10⁻⁸ mol dm⁻³ in the bicarbonate-rich solutions. Although these concentrations are considered as conservative, they are 10-100 times higher than in natural Boom Clay. The consequence is that spent fuel could slowly dissolve in the interstitial clay water undersaturated with respect to UO₂/UO_2+x of the fuel.     

The effect of additives on the treatment of oil-in-water emulsions by vacuum evaporation

A simple batch vacuum evaporation process for the treatment of several oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions is reported. The experiments were carried out with waste emulsions from an industrial copper rolling process and with model emulsions prepared in the laboratory. No detailed information on the formulation of the industrial waste O/W emulsions was available. Several model emulsions were formulated using the same base oil (an 85–15% (w/w) mixture of a synthetic poly-α-olefin and a trimethylol propane trioleate ester, respectively) and one of the three following surfactants: Brij-76 (polyethylene glycol octadecyl ether, non-ionic), CTAB (hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, cationic), and Oleth-10 (glycolic acid ethoxylate oleyl ether, anionic). Experimental results show a strong influence of operating conditions, such as pressure or bath temperature, on the evaporation performance. As a general trend, the higher the values of these parameters, the higher the pollutant content in the obtained aqueous effluent. The presence of surfactants increase the evaporation rate, especially at low operating vacuum pressures, the solubility of oil molecules in water and the evaporation temperature of model O/W emulsions. Furthermore, COD reductions higher than 99.5% for the treated waste O/W emulsions were achieved.     

反胶束体系增溶水量对棉籽粕蛋白的萃取研究

棉籽粕中蛋白质含量约为50%。讨论了阳离子CTAB/正辛烷(正辛醇或正戊醇)、阴离子AOT/异辛烷两种反胶束体系在不同条件下的W0与萃取率之间的关系。通过调整助表面活性剂、助溶剂的种类和加入量,从而改变萃取率的主要影响因素——增溶水的量(W0),并得出最佳萃取率(84%)时,W0取值范围是30～40。     

3Cr2W8V钢强韧化处理研究

本文从强韧化机制方面，研究了用于铝合金型材挤压模具的３Ｃｒ２Ｗ８Ｖ钢在不同热处理工艺条件下的金相组织，显微结构与断口，常温与高温下的力学性能。结果表明，采用１２５０℃以上超高温淬火加４００－５００℃中温回火的强韧化处理工艺，可使该钢同时获得具有良好力学性能和较好韧性、热强性、热稳定性、热疲劳性、耐磨性等相结合的综合性能。     

新型油墨清洗剂的研制及其应用研究

成功地研制了一种新型、高效、安全、低成本的油墨清洗剂,克服了直接使用溶剂而带来的易燃、易爆的缺点.此油墨清洗剂是由乳化剂、表面活性剂、溶剂及其它助剂构成的O/W型微乳液.结果表明清洗剂各组分的复配比对清洗剂使用性能具有较大影响,该微乳液可替传统溶剂型油墨清洗剂用于印刷机件上油墨的清洗,且使用效果和安全性能超过汽油、煤油...