Preparation of textured B₄C compact with oriented pore-forming agent by slip casting under strong magnetic field

Abstract

Control rods are one of the structural components in a nuclear reactor and are required to have a high functionality and reliability to provide a safe nuclear reactor. Random-oriented boron carbide (B₄C) is normally used as the control rods, but cracks are easily generated during the nuclear reaction because of volume swelling due to the accumulation of helium gas and nonhomogeneous thermal stress distribution during the neutron absorption reaction. In this study, we were able to control the crystalline orientation of the B₄C and align the tubal pores for controlling the thermal stress distribution and releasing the helium gas by controlling the dispersion of particles in a slurry and the rotation in a magnetic field.