Progress of Codes and Standards Development for Nuclear Applications of Ceramic Composite Materials

Ceramic matrix composites, mainly continuous silicon carbide (SiC) fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composites (SiC-SiC composites) and continuous carbon fiber-reinforced carbon matrix composites (C-C or carbon-carbon composites), are currently being evaluated for use at high temperatures and high radiation fields in various advanced high temperature reactor concepts. These composites have a number of desirable properties for high temperature nuclear applications, including excellent thermal and mechanical properties and reasonable (C-C) to outstanding (SiC-SiC) radiation resistance. Moreover, these composites are finding expanding utilization as the fabrication and application technologies mature. However, designing nuclear reactor core components with these composite materials and qualification of certain composite materials for use in nuclear reactors requires the design rules. In order to establish such rules, a development task for rules for the construction of the ceramic composite materials for use in high temperature reactors has been undertaken in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code, Section III (Nuclear), Division 5 (High Temperature Reactors), Working Group on Graphite and Composite Design (WG-GCD). The status of the ceramic composite design rules development in the WG-GCD during FY-201D is briefly summarized in this report.