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Sangita Sharma1, Kyle Walton, Tushar K Ghosh
Nuclear Science and Engineering Institute, University of Missouri-Columbia
Abstract
Graphite is a key material in the design of nuclear reactors for space exploration. Various Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) systems have been explored by NASA that will utilize graphite. Two solid core nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) technology options are examined--one derived from the graphite-moderated reactor concept developed by NASA and the AEC under the Rover/NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) programs, and a second concept, the Particle Bed Reactor (PBR). It is important to understand synergistic applications of today's graphite matrix fuel and CVD coating technologies and processes that could lead to a state-of-the-art NERVA fuel form having improved fission product retention. Iodine is a fission product, in particularly 131I, is a serious physiological and biological hazard. In this project, the interaction of iodine with graphite and its retention on graphite has been reviewed. The retention of iodine on graphite is a strong function of temperature. The literature suggests that iodine can physisorp on graphite at temperatures below 200oC, but chemisorption is possible at temperatures higher than 400oC.
Sangita Sharma1 is a Senior at Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri.
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