Method of forming a silicon carbide material, and structures including the material
AssigneeCOI Ceramics, Inc.
InventorsTimothy E. Easler, Andrew Szweda, Eric Stein
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Abstract
A precursor formulation of a silicon carbide material that includes a ceramic material and a boron-11 compound. The ceramic material may include silicon and carbon and, optionally, oxygen, nitrogen, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, or mixtures thereof. The boron-11 compound may be a boron-11 isotope of boron oxide, boron hydride, boron hydroxide, boron carbide, boron nitride, boron trichloride, boron trifluoride, boron metal, or mixtures thereof. A material for use in a nuclear reactor component is also disclosed, as are such components, as well as a method of producing the material.
Claims17
A method of producing a boron-11 silicon carbide material, comprising:
- vaporizing at least one of a liquid state of boron-11 oxide and a solid state of boron-11 oxide to form a gaseous state of boron-11 oxide;
- and
- converting a ceramic material to the boron-11 silicon carbide material in the presence of a boron oxide consisting of the gaseous state of boron-11 oxide.
A nuclear reactor component comprising:
- a structure selected from the group consisting of an elongate multi-component control rod, a tubular fuel cladding, and a tube of a heat exchanger,
- the structure incorporating a boron-11 silicon carbide material comprising:
- a silicon carbide material;
- and
- a boron-11 material derived from a reaction between an element of a precursor ceramic material of the silicon carbide material and a boron-11 compound consisting of a boron-11 isotope of boron oxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.