Boron carbide has a high neutron absorption capacity. The neutron capture cross-section is high and the capture energy spectrum is wide. The thermal cross-section of 10B is as high as 347 × 10-24 cm2, second only to a few elements such as gadolinium, samarium, and cadmium. At the same time, compared with pure elements B and Gd, B4C is low in cost, does not produce radioisotopes, has low secondary ray energy, and is corrosion-resistant and has good thermal stability. Therefore, it is more and more popular in materials for nuclear reactors.

1. Application of boron carbide materials in nuclear reactors
The neutron absorption properties of boron carbide materials mainly depend on the 10B content of boron carbide. In nuclear reactors, there are currently the following applications:
(1) The boron carbide and graphite powder are mixed and smelted to make boron-carbon bricks, which are used outside the reactor to prevent the leakage of radioactive materials;
(2) Pressing boron carbide powder into products at high temperature for use in the center of the reactor as a reactor control rod to control the reactor reaction speed;
(3) Pressing boron carbide powder into products at high temperature for the second layer of reactor protection, as a shielding material for the reactor, to absorb radioactive materials, etc.;
(4) Atmospheric pressure sintering process is used to sinter the boron carbide powder into blocks, which are used for the shielding material of the reactor. my country has now applied boron carbide materials in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and fast neutron breeder reactors.

Second, the development and prospect of boron carbide materials to accelerate the development of nuclear power
Is an important national decision and energy development strategy. Researching and discussing the application of boron carbide materials in the development of nuclear power to make it better play its unique performance is an important responsibility of scientific researchers in the boron carbide industry. The rational and scientific use of boron carbide materials makes them in the following aspects It is widely used.
1. The application of ensuring the continuous and safe operation of nuclear power plants utilizes the shielding function of boron carbide. In the fourth barrier containment vessel of the nuclear reactor, the materials mixed with boron carbide and graphite are used to partially replace the reinforced concrete in the original reactor building. Structures to prevent radioactive materials from going into the environment. This technology has been applied in Beijing Changping High Temperature Reactor Commercial Demonstration Nuclear Power Station.
2. Application in improving the level of sustainable economic supply of uranium resources
Uranium resources are a scarce resource with only one in four million in the earth's crust. Natural uranium consists of three isotopes: except 0.71% uranium 235 and trace uranium 234, the rest are all uranium 238 (99.2%). China Experimental Fast Reactor, as an advanced breeder reactor type in the world today, has made sustainable economic applications of uranium resources. When the uranium-235 participates in the reaction, the fast reactor splits out high-speed neutrons, causing the surrounding uranium-238 to become uranium-239, and the uranium-239 unstable and rapidly decays into the more stable plutonium-239, which can occur with Uranium-235 is similar to a fission reaction, and the ratio of plutonium produced from uranium is 1:0.7～1.5, thus achieving the proliferation of uranium. As a kind of advanced reactor type, high temperature reactor can convert 40% to 45% of its power into generating power.

Third. Application in ensuring the safety of nuclear waste treatment and disposal
The safe and effective treatment and disposal of spent fuel and its nuclear waste are critical to the sustainable development of nuclear power. Radioactive materials gradually accumulated during the operation of nuclear facilities and the enslavement of equipment.
These materials have no value for continued use or recycling, whether economically or technically, and are therefore classified as radioactive waste.
Conditioning is the last step before storing or disposing of waste. Special technologies for waste volume reduction can help reduce the need for storage space and minimize the storage cost of waste during intermediate storage or final disposal. In the internationally advanced spent fuel storage system, the use of boron carbide material as a shielding module has met the IAEA's requirement for a minimum storage life of 50 years for temporary storage of spent fuel.
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