GEN IV WEBINAR – 8:30 am EDT

May 24, 2023

The new High Temperature Reactor (HTR) designs being considered for future Gen IV nuclear reactor deployment include designs utilizing molten salt as the primary coolant. These molten-salt cooled, graphite core designs pose new material compatibility challenges that are not considered within the gas-cooled HTR designs that have been previously built and operated. In MSRs, graphite is not only exposed to fast neutron irradiation but also in continuous contact with the coolant molten salt, the fuel salt, or both, depending on the design. The continuous operation in contact with the molten salts is expected to affect graphite’s local composition and microstructure, which in turn impacts the mechanical, thermal, and irradiation-resistance properties of the graphite. These issues are currently under investigation within the DOE Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) graphite program and will be presented at this seminar.

Who should attend: policymakers, managers, regulators, students, general public