Nuclear Engineering Commons^™

Thermoelectric Half-Heuslers: Synthesis, Processing, And Performance, Joseph Robert Croteau

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Thermoelectric half-Heusler compounds have potential to convert the heat wasted from industrial and transportation processes to useful electricity. Among the highest performing half-Heusler compounds are nano-structured bulk materials which have been arc-melted, pulverized into a nano-powder, and sintered by DC-hot press. High performing n- and p-type half-Heusler compounds with nominal composition of Hf_0.25Zr_0.75NiSn_0.99Sb_0.01 and Nb_0.75Ti_0.25FeSb, respectively, have been provided to us in both dense and powder form by our collaborators at the University of Houston. We consolidate these powders by SPS, refine these powders to improve both particle size …

Magnetron Sputtering And Corrosion Of Ti-Al-C And Cr-Al-C Coatings For Zr-Alloy Nuclear Fuel Cladding, Devin Alan Roberts

Masters Theses

The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011 bought renewed focus to the issue of corrosion in nuclear fuel cladding applications. This thesis reports on the background behind these issues, the investigation strategy, and the analysis of experiments focused on mitigating oxidation of Zr-alloy fuel cladding. This thesis seeks to develop magnetron sputtered Ti-Al-C and Cr-Al-C coatings for Zr-alloy substrates and characterize the as-deposited and corroded samples.

Ti-Al-C and Cr-Al-C coatings were deposited onto ZIRLO, Si, and Al₂O₃ [Aluminum Oxide] substrates under various sputtering conditions. A combinatorial sputtering method was employed to refine …