# US 10,311,981 B2 · Steel-vanadium alloy cladding for fuel element

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- Number: US 10,311,981 B2
- Document ID: US10311981B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/651,884
- Filed: 2017-07-17
- Published: 2018-08-16
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-13
- Assignees: TerraPower, LLC
- Applicants: TerraPower, LLC
- Inventors: Micah J. Hackett; Greg A. Vetterick; Cheng Xu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311981B2

## CPC

- G21C 3/07: characterised by their material, e.g. alloys
- B23K 20/021: {Isostatic pressure welding}
- B32B 1/00: Layered products having a non-planar shape
- B32B 15/01: all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)}
- B32B 15/015: {the said other metal being copper or nickel or an alloy thereof}
- C22C 27/025: {alloys based on vanadium}
- C22C 38/001: {containing N}
- C22C 38/02: containing silicon
- C22C 38/22: with molybdenum or tungsten
- C22C 38/24: with vanadium
- C22C 38/26: with niobium or tantalum
- C22C 38/28: with titanium or zirconium
- C22C 38/32: with boron
- C23C 24/106: {Coating with metal alloys or metal elements only}
- C23C 28/021: {including at least one metal alloy layer}
- C23C 28/023: {only coatings of metal elements only}
- C23C 28/027: {including at least one metal matrix material comprising a mixture of at least two metals or metal phases or metal matrix composites, e.g. metal matrix with embedded inorganic hard particles, CERMET, MMC.}
- C23C 30/005: {on hard metal substrates}
- B21B 21/00: Pilgrim-step tube-rolling {, i.e. pilger mills}
- B21C 23/22: Making metal-coated products; Making products from two or more metals
- B23K 2103/18: Dissimilar materials
- Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors
- G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- B21B: ROLLING OF METAL (auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working operations covered in B21, see B21C; bending by rolling B21D; manufacture of particular objects, e.g. screws, wheels, rings, barrels, balls, by rolling B21H; pressure welding by means of a rolling mill B23K20/04)
- B21C: MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES, PROFILES OR LIKE SEMI-MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

This disclosure describes various configurations and components for bimetallic and trimetallic claddings for use as a wall element separating nuclear material from an external environment. The cladding materials are suitable for use as cladding for nuclear fuel elements, particularly for fuel elements that will be exposed to sodium or other coolants or environments with a propensity to react with the nuclear fuel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method comprising:
fabricating a steel tube;
fabricating a vanadium tube of carbon-doped vanadium or vanadium alloy;
depositing one of nickel, nickel alloy, chromium, chromium alloy, zirconium or zirconium alloy one either the inside of the steel tube or the outside of the vanadium tube;
inserting the vanadium tube into the steel tube thereby creating a steel-middle layer-vanadium intermediate tube;
metallurgical bonding the steel-middle layer-vanadium intermediate tube;
pilgering or extruding the steel-middle layer-vanadium intermediate tube; and
cold working the steel-middle layer-vanadium intermediate tube after the metallurgical bonding and pilgering or extruding operations to obtain a steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding;
wherein the steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding consists of:
an outer layer of steel;
a middle layer of nickel, nickel alloy, chromium, chromium alloy, zirconium or zirconium alloy between the outer layer and the inner layer; and
an inner layer consisting of:
0.1-0.3 wt. % C;
the balance being V and other elements, wherein the second layer includes not greater than 0.1 wt. % of each of these other elements, and wherein the total of these other elements does not exceed 0.5 wt. %.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the metallurgical bonding operation includes hot isostatic pressing of the steel-middle layer-vanadium intermediate tube.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the metallurgical bonding operation is performed after the pilgering or extruding operation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the metallurgical bonding operation is performed before the pilgering or extruding operation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the depositing operation includes depositing the nickel, nickel alloy, chromium, chromium alloy, zirconium or zirconium alloy by organometallic chemical vapor deposition (OMCVD); thermal evaporation, sputtering, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), cathodic arc, or electrospark deposition (ESD).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the inner layer has a thickness that is from 0.1% to 50% of the thickness of the steel layer and the middle layer has a thickness that is from 0.1% to 50% of the thickness of the steel layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the inner layer has a thickness that is from 1% to 5% of the thickness of the steel layer and the middle layer has a thickness that is from 1% to 5% of the thickness of the steel layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the steel of the steel layer is selected from a tempered martensitic steel, a ferritic steel, an austenitic steel, an oxide-dispersion strengthened steel, T91 steel, T92 steel, HT9 steel, 316 steel, and 304 steel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the steel of the steel layer consists of:
9.0-12.0 wt. % Cr;
0.001-2.5 wt. % W;
0.001-2.0 wt. % Mo;
0.001-0.5 wt. % Si;
up to 0.5 wt. % Ti;
up to 0.5 wt. % Zr;
up to 0.5 wt. % V;
up to 0.5 wt. % Nb;
up to 0.3 wt. % Ta;
up to 0.1 wt. % N;
up to 0.3 wt. % C;
up to 0.01 wt. % B;
the balance being Fe and other elements, wherein the steel includes not greater than 0.15 wt. % of each of these other elements, and wherein the total of these other elements does not exceed 0.35 wt. %.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the steel includes one or more of carbide precipitates of Ti, Zr, V, Nb, Ta or B, nitride precipitates of Ti, Zr, V, Nb, or Ta, and/or carbo-nitride precipitates of Ti, Zr, V, Nb, or Ta.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the inner layer includes one or more carbide precipitates of Cr, Ti and/or other elements.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the steel layer is at least 99% of the total thickness of the steel-middle layer-vanadium cladding and wherein with each of the middle layer and inner layer being from 0.0001% to 0.5% of the thickness of the steel layer.