| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Meeting Materials Challenges for the Future of Fusion Energy
|
| Presentation Title |
A Carbon Foam to SiC Conversion Technology for Flow Channel Inserts |
| Author(s) |
Jiping Zhang, Osman Trieu, George Jacobsen, Tyler Abrams, Shawn Zamperini |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jiping Zhang |
| Abstract Scope |
Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic foam is a desirable candidate material for flow channel insert (FCI) used in liquid metal blanket fusion reactors. SiC has excellent irradiation stability, high temperature strength, and as a foam has very low thermal conductivity. GA-EMS has developed a carbon foam to SiC conversion technology for efficient near net shaped manufacturing. A carbon foam with desired porosity is machined to FCI target geometry. Silicon composite particles are infiltrated into the foam as a source to locally generate silicon monoxide (SiO) during heating. The carbon reacts with SiO gas to convert to crystalline high purity SiC. Unlike other SiO based approaches, the GA-EMS approach keeps the original carbon foam volume, porosity and geometry. As such, thermo-mechanical performance of the SiC foam is influenced and can be tailored by the starting carbon foam. Results will also be presented on efforts to seal the FCI inner and outer surface. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Ceramics, Nuclear Materials, Other |