Results of SM reactor tests of dysprosium hafnate

Models of absorbing elements with a promising material for the control organs of nuclear reactors have been tested in the SM reactor – pelleted and powder kernels with different composition based on dysprosium hafnate in a mixture with boron carbide. The neutron fluence with energy >0.1 MeV averaged over a kernel volume was (0.9–1.3)·10²² cm^–2 at the moment the tests were completed for different samples. The temperature at the center of the kernels of the absorber element models during irradiation was 620–1100°C in channel No. 4 and 400–500°C in channel No. 9. The results of the materials science studies show that on the whole the serviceability of the absorbing elements based on pellets and powders of dysprosium hafnate is high.