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Posted On: 03/11/2025 4:37:35 PM
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New Graphite Modeling Approach Could Expedite Licensing
Graphite plays a vital role in next-gen nuclear technology. For instance, in nuclear reactors operating at high temperatures and relying on gas cooling, graphite is used to enclose and encapsulate the nuclear fuel. This helps to improve the safety of a nuclear reactor in the event that the cooling system fails. This is the reason why vendors of nuclear energy systems are required to show that the grade of graphite they plan to use can withstand not just the heat but other environmental conditions inside a reactor.
A new model that has been developed by a team at Idaho National Laboratory could make it easier for vendors to prove to licensing authorities that their graphite of choice will do the job that it is expected to perform in a nuclear facility.
Joshua Kane, a research scientist at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), explains that the model uses experimental measurements of the microstructure of a given graphite grade as well as diffusion measurements. The model then makes predictions about the corrosion rate and oxidation rate of the graphite grade being assessed. Kane, who worked with an INL workmate called Hai Huang, says the model was incredibly accurate in predicting whether a given graphite grade would perform as expected.
The graphite used in nuclear reactors comes in two varieties: one with a fine grain grade and the other comes with a medium grain grade. The grain grade refers to the general size of the particles. The different grades exhibit different properties and performance attributes.
Vendors usually choose graphite grades based on their mechanical strength or suitability for the type of reactor in question. However, Kane points out that the oxidation mass loss of a graphite grade when it is exposed to heat and air is also a key parameter to consider when assessing whether a given grade will do its work in a reactor.
The existing tests to measure oxidation mass loss aren’t just time-consuming but also expensive. The team at INL sought a way to predict the oxidative effects on graphite grades in a way that saves time and money. Their model was premised on reactivity assumptions coupled with the known ways through which oxygen diffuses through a given grade of graphite. The researchers then entered this data into a computer and simulated how the different grades would experience oxidative mass loss.
They then compared the curves that the computer simulation generated to the curves that were obtained from previous actual tests of graphite grades. The simulations were so accurate that it was hard to choose which curve was a result of the computer model’s work and which one was obtained after conducting actual tests.
This model is going to make it easier for vendors of nuclear technology to have their systems qualified/approved by regulatory bodies. As such modeling systems are deployed, entities like Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) focusing on graphite production could see increased investor interest over the coming years if more nuclear plants come online sooner as the approval process is expedited by better modeling systems.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/RFLXF
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the MiningNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by MNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.MiningNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
Graphite plays a vital role in next-gen nuclear technology. For instance, in nuclear reactors operating at high temperatures and relying on gas cooling, graphite is used to enclose and encapsulate the nuclear fuel. This helps to improve the safety of a nuclear reactor in the event that the cooling system fails. This is the reason why vendors of nuclear energy systems are required to show that the grade of graphite they plan to use can withstand not just the heat but other environmental conditions inside a reactor.
A new model that has been developed by a team at Idaho National Laboratory could make it easier for vendors to prove to licensing authorities that their graphite of choice will do the job that it is expected to perform in a nuclear facility.
Joshua Kane, a research scientist at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), explains that the model uses experimental measurements of the microstructure of a given graphite grade as well as diffusion measurements. The model then makes predictions about the corrosion rate and oxidation rate of the graphite grade being assessed. Kane, who worked with an INL workmate called Hai Huang, says the model was incredibly accurate in predicting whether a given graphite grade would perform as expected.
The graphite used in nuclear reactors comes in two varieties: one with a fine grain grade and the other comes with a medium grain grade. The grain grade refers to the general size of the particles. The different grades exhibit different properties and performance attributes.
Vendors usually choose graphite grades based on their mechanical strength or suitability for the type of reactor in question. However, Kane points out that the oxidation mass loss of a graphite grade when it is exposed to heat and air is also a key parameter to consider when assessing whether a given grade will do its work in a reactor.
The existing tests to measure oxidation mass loss aren’t just time-consuming but also expensive. The team at INL sought a way to predict the oxidative effects on graphite grades in a way that saves time and money. Their model was premised on reactivity assumptions coupled with the known ways through which oxygen diffuses through a given grade of graphite. The researchers then entered this data into a computer and simulated how the different grades would experience oxidative mass loss.
They then compared the curves that the computer simulation generated to the curves that were obtained from previous actual tests of graphite grades. The simulations were so accurate that it was hard to choose which curve was a result of the computer model’s work and which one was obtained after conducting actual tests.
This model is going to make it easier for vendors of nuclear technology to have their systems qualified/approved by regulatory bodies. As such modeling systems are deployed, entities like Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) focusing on graphite production could see increased investor interest over the coming years if more nuclear plants come online sooner as the approval process is expedited by better modeling systems.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE: RFLX) (OTCQB: RFLXF) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/RFLXF
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the MiningNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by MNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.MiningNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
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