ORNL-4191 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

It is the purpose of our studies to develop grades
of graphite which will circumvent the breakdown of
the binder phase that limits the lifetime expec-
tancy of the graphite core. The tailoring of a
graphite for use in a molten-salt reactor will very
likely require the use of impregnates and/or sur-
face-sealing techniques to obtain the required pore
size and permeability. Therefore, studies of the
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effects that these treatments will have on the irra-
diation behavior will be made. The studies must
include examinations to demonstrate that the core
lifetime is not reduced either through the loss of
effectiveness of the sealing techniques or through
an enhanced potential of breakdown of the binder
phase.