Wood pulp fibers possess strength and modulus properties which compare favorably with glass fibers when the differences in fiber densities are considered. Softwood pulp fibers with fiber aspect ratios near 100 are readily dispersed into highdensity polyethylene or isotactic polypropylene with the aid of carboxyic dispersing agents to form mixtures containing 50 weight-percent wood pulp which can be readily injection molded. The mechanical properties of the molded specimens were similar for all types of pulp including Kraft (bleached and unbleached), mechanical and chemical-mechanical pulps, waste pulps, and reclaim newspapers. Comparisons of the stiffness/weight efficiencies revealed that pulp composites equal or exceed the stiffness of most traditional materials of construction including steel, aluminum, glass-fiber composites, and talcfilled polyolefins, while retaining a major material cost advantage. The measured strength values of the pulp composites were less than the theoretically predicted values due to the presence of voids created by the formation of volatiles during processing. Mechanical pulps which were available in dry form were preferred because of lower cost and ease of handling. Wood fibers are non-abrasive so that relatively large concentrations may be incorporated into polyolefins without causing serious machine wear during mixing and fabrication.
Some pressure tubes in reactors moderated by heavy water have been made from heat-treated (HT) Zr-2.5Nb. One such tube was removed from the NPD nuclear reactor after 20 years of operation. An extensive program was carried out jointly by AECL and PNC to evaluate the condition and properties of this pressure tube. The investigations include irradiation creep, tensile, corrosion, delayed hydride cracking (DHC), fatigue, and fracture properties.
Results show that: (1) the in-reactor elongation rate is much lower and the transverse strain rates are slightly larger than in cold-worked (CW) Zr-2.5Nb tubes; (2) the tensile properties, hydrogen pickup, threshold stress intensity factor for DHC initiation, DHC velocity, and fatigue crack growth rates were similar to those of the CW Zr-2.5Nb material; (3) the fracture toughness of this tube, as measured by curved compact toughness specimens and burst tests, is slightly higher than the CW tubes. The results were also compared with other heat-treated Zr-2.5Nb materials irradiated in the Fugen reactor.
The tube was in excellent condition when removed from the reactor and would have been satisfactory for further service.
The pressure tubes of Canadian Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactors are monitored to evaluate their health. The main factors that affect their service life are changes in dimensions, shape, mechanical properties, and flaw tolerance. We have developed equip-ment and techniques to measure these properties and assess the health of the tubes. In this paper we describe the examination of the Zircaloy-2 pressure tubes of the Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) reactor. Their dimensional changes posed no problems. However, the combined effect of irradiation and the presence of radial hydrides caused the fracture toughness to decrease to such an extent that it would be difficult to assure leak-before-break in the future. Thus the reactor was closed down after 25 years of operation.
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