Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: Perspective of thorium research and boron carbide coating of urania-gadolinia fuel in Turkey

Abstract

Turkey has thorium resources amounting to about 380,000 tonnes as observed until today. Thorium content in complex ore reserves is roughly 0.2% in average. An extensive survey including determination of tenor for complex ore is expected to be undertaken till the end of year 2000. Other main constituents are composed of rare earth elements including yttria (203Y). These constituents and regional thorium contents are tabulated and mapped in this presentation in detail. The research and development (R and D) institutions in Turkey consider R and D studies on thorium fuel technology as a key element for future reactor technologies. Recently, some other R and D investigations on advanced fuel production were undertaken at the Middle East Technical University (Ankara) in collaboration with the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority. As an example. Pure UO2 and urania-gadolinia (5% and 10% gadolinia) fuels were then coated with boron carbide by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Boron carbide was produced from the reaction of carbon tetrachloride and boron trichloride under excess hydrogen in a thermal CVD furnace at 1000 deg. C - 1175 deg. C. The morphology and the thickness of the coating and preliminary burnup calculations have been investigated.

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Reference:

Proceedings of three IAEA meetings held in Vienna in 1997, 1998 and 1999

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--1319, pp:294-302