New sacrificial material for ex-vessel core catcher

A new functional (sacrificial) material has been developed in the Fe2O3-SrO-Al2O3-CaO system based on strontium hexaferrite ceramic in concrete matrix. The method of producing SM has been advanced technologically; this technological effectiveness allows the SM to be used in ex-vessel core catchers with corium spreading as well as in crucible-type core catchers. Critical properties regarding the efficiency of SM in ex-vessel core catchers, such as porosity, pycnometric density, apparent density, solidus and liquidus temperatures, and water content have been measured. Suitable fractions of SrFe12O19 and high alumina cement (HAC) were found in the SM based on thermodynamic analysis of the SM/corium interaction. The use of sacrificial steel as an additional heat adsorption component in the core catcher allowed us to increase the mass fraction range of SrFe12O19 in the SM from 0.3−0.5 to 0.3-0.85. The activation temperature of the SM/corium interaction has been shown to correspond to the liquidus temperature of the local composition at the SM/corium interface. The calculated value of this temperature was 1716 °C. Analysis of phase transformations in the SrO-Fe2O3 system revealed advantages of the SrFe12O19-based sacrificial material compared with the Fe2O3-contained material owing to the time proximity of SrFe12O19 decomposition and corium interaction activation.