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Reflector  Materials - h1017v2_72
Cladding and Reflectors  Summary

Material Science Volume 2 of 2
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Plant Materials DOE-HDBK-1017/2-93 CLADDING AND REFLECTORS In the case of a fast reactor, neutron thermalization is not desirable, and the reflector will consist of a dense element of high mass number. Materials that have been used as reflectors include pure water, heavy water (deuterium oxide), beryllium (as metal or oxide), carbon (graphite), and zirconium hydride.  The selection of which material  to  use  is  based  largely  on  the  nuclear  considerations  given  above  and  the  essential neuronic properties of the materials.   Most power reactors use water as both the moderator and reflector, as well as the coolant.   Graphite has been used extensively as moderator and reflector for thermal reactors.  Beryllium is superior to graphite as a moderator and reflector material but, because of its high cost and poor mechanical properties, it has little prospect of being used to any extent.   Beryllium has been used in a few instances such as test reactors, but is not used in any power reactors.   Reactors using heavy water as the moderator-reflector have the advantage of  being  able  to  operate  satisfactorily  with  natural  uranium  as  the  fuel  material;  enriched uranium  is  then  not  required.    Zirconium  hydride  serves  as  the  moderator  in  the  Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomic (TRIGA) reactor.   The zirconium hydride is incorporated with enriched uranium metal in the fuel elements. Rev. 0 Page 13 MS-05







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