DOE-HDBK-1017/2-93
Plant Materials
PROPERTIES CONSIDERED WHEN SELECTING MATERIALS
PROPERTIES CONSIDERED
WHEN SELECTING MATERIALS
There are many different kinds of materials used in the construction of a nuclear
facility. Once constructed, these materials are subjected to environments and
operating conditions that may lead to material problems. This chapter discusses
considerations for selection and application of plant materials.
EO 1.1
DEFINE the following terms:
a.
Machinability
b.
Formability
c.
Stability
d.
Fabricability
EO 1.2
IDENTIFY the importance of a material property and its
application in a reactor plant.
Overview
During the selection and application of materials used for construction of a nuclear facility, many
different material properties and factors must be considered depending upon the requirements for
each specific application. Generally, these consist of both non-fuel reactor materials, used for
structural and component construction, and fuel materials. This chapter discusses some of the
considerations used in the selection process for plant materials including material properties, fuel,
fuel cladding, reflector material, control materials, and shielding materials.
Material Properties
The following properties are considered when selecting materials that are to be used in the
construction of nuclear facilities.
Machinability
Components may be formed by removing metal "chips" by mechanical deformation. This
process is referred to as machining. Machinability describes how a metal reacts to
mechanical deformation by removing chips, with respect to the amount of metal
effectively removed and the surface finish attainable. The mechanical properties of the
metal will be the factors that influence the machinability of a metal.
Many components used in nuclear reactor construction use machined parts that require
very close tolerances and very smooth surfaces.
Thus, machinability becomes an
important consideration when choosing materials for manufacturing these parts.
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