Performance study and optimal design of Gd/316L neutron absorbing material for Spent Nuclear Fuel transportation and storage

• Published in: Materials today communications 2023-03, Vol.34, p.105342, Article 105342
• Main Authors: Qi, Zheng-Dong, Yang, Zhong, Yang, Xi-Gang, Wang, Li-Ying, Li, Chang-Yuan, Dai, Ye
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Gd/316L; Material performance; Neutron shielding materials; Spent Nuclear Fuel; Transportation and storage
• ISSN: 2352-4928; 2352-4928
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2023.105342

In this paper, the effect of Gd (Gadolinium) content on the microstructure and properties of Gd/316L composites were systematically studied, on the basis of which the Gd/316L neutron shielding materials were designed. The results showed that with the increase of Gd content, the tensile strength and yield strength of the material increased first and then decreased, and the elongation at break decreased continuously. When the content of Gd is 1.5 %, the maximum tensile strength and yield strength are 615.51 MPa and 291.55 MPa, respectively, and the elongation at break is 30 %. In addition, with the increase of Gd content, the corrosion resistance and thermal processing performance of the material became worse. When the Gd content is 0.5 %, the material has the strongest corrosion resistance and the best thermal processing performance. The mathematical relationship between neutron absorption rate and A(155,157Gd) (155,157Gd areal density) was established. The neutron shielding performance could be directly evaluated by using A (155,157Gd), which simplifies the complexity of considering various parameters. Moreover, the existence threshold of A(155,157Gd) was used to optimize the Gd content and material thickness, which are the most critical factors affecting the neutron shielding rate. It is proposed that the 1.5 %Gd/316L composite with a thickness of 3 mm has excellent application potential as a low-cost functional/structural integrated material in the transportation and storage of SNF (Spent Nuclear Fuel). [Display omitted]