Sodium Fast Reactor Fuel Evaluation: Core Materials

In the sodium fast reactors envisioned in the Generation IV program, fuel pins are expected to be irradiated at a higher temperature up to a higher burnup. Integrity of these fuel pins strongly depends on whether the cladding can withstand such irradiation environments. As for the cladding, it is preferred to have a low swelling and high ductility for its lifetime. Sufficient creep strengths at a high temperature are required. The materials for the duct require sufficient strength and toughness to make a duct handling possible after an irradiation. This paper describes the main factors controlling the lifetime of these materials, and the viability of the currently available materials for their utilization in the core materials of GEN-IV SFR systems.JRC.E.5-Nuclear chemistr