SiC composite: A new fuel cladding for high-temperature cores
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A SiC-steel composite tube is being developed for fuel cladding applications. The tube is fabricated by hot-drawing a laminate containing alternate layers of SiC fiber cloth and high-Cr steel. The SiC fibers provide an ultimate-strength reinforcement and extreme resistance to neutron damage; the steel provides a ductile support matrix. Full impregnation and surficial bonding between the ceramic cloth and the steel matrix is achieved by two steps: application of an adhesion layer to the fibers prior to assembly of the composite, and hot-drawing of the lay-up composite while the tube is heated locally to near-melt of the steel. Corrosion resistance can be enhanced by bonding a thin Ta layer to the outer surface of the tube.