Beryllium intermetallics: Industrial experience on development and manufacture

• Published in: Nuclear materials and energy 2023-06, Vol.35, p.101444, Article 101444
• Main Authors: Gaisin, Ramil, Frants, Yevgeniy, Kolmakov, Maxim, Zorin, Boris, Kylyshkanov, Manarbek, Podoinikov, Mikhail, Udartsev, Sergey, Vechkutov, Anatoly, Chakin, Vladimir, Vladimirov, Pavel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beryllides; Beryllium; High-temperature materials, DEMO; Neutron multiplier materials; Vacuum hot pressing
• ISSN: 2352-1791; 2352-1791
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nme.2023.101444

•Successful production technologies for tantalum, chromium, and titanium beryllides have been developed and implemented.•Tantalum beryllide can be manufactured in sizes up to Ø90 mm × 90 mm, while chromium and titanium beryllides can be produced up to Ø200 mm × 200 mm.•The density of the obtained beryllide billets exceeds 96%. Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC has been leading several research and development programs aimed at producing beryllides for both structural and fusion applications. The main focus has been on the development of tantalum beryllide as a high-temperature material, and chromium and titanium beryllides as neutron multipliers for EU DEMO. Utilizing vacuum hot pressing, billets of tantalum, chromium, and titanium beryllides were successfully produced, with their key properties such as density, phase composition, and microstructure extensively analyzed. These results show promising potential for expanding the use of beryllides and developing new compositions, highlighting the continued importance of research in this area.