Observation on creep of tantalum

Because of its high melting point (2976C) tantalum has received consideration as a structural material in nuclear reactors which operate at high temperatures. Corrosion and erosion studies of tantalum in a hot loop have been carried out using a bismuth-uranium alloy as the circulating fuel-coolant, but comparatively little information is available on the mechanical properties of tantalum, particularly on the creep resistance at high temperatures. Therefore, a program of determining some of these properties was undertaken by Nuclear Engineering Group I, and preliminary studies of the creep behavior of tantalum are reported herein