Protection of nuclear graphite toward liquid fluoride salt by isotropic pyrolytic carbon coating

Infiltration studies were performed on uncoated nuclear graphite and isotropic pyrolytic carbon (PyC) coated graphite in molten FLiNaK salt at 650 degrees C under argon atmosphere at 1, 3 and 5 atm. Uncoated graphite shows weight gain more obviously than that of PyC coated graphite. Nuclear graphite with PyC coating exhibits excellent infiltration resistance in molten salt due to the small open porosity as conformed from scanning electron microscopy and mercury injection experiments. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.