How Ceramics Could Prevent Nuclear Disaster
Pottery Wikimedia Commons, Courtesy ZSM For more than 50 years, engineers have built the rods that hold nuclear fuel the same way, out of zirconium-based metal alloys. They maintain structural integrity at high temperatures and allow uranium neutrons to escape in order to produce nuclear reactions. But, as Fukushima demonstrated, they have a very serious drawback: At about 2,000°F, the stuff quickly reacts with steam, releasing heat and hydrogen gas that can easily ignite—and then explode. 1) Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic rods can do everything that zirconium-based ones do. 2) But they are far less reactive with hot water. 3) And they’re still strong at 2,900°F and higher. 4) Several companies have been working on SiC rods, including Maryland-based Ceramic Tubular Products, which tested them under accident conditions last year. This article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Popular Science.