[meteorite-list] 8.9 Quake in Japan & ZIRCONIUM

From: Steve Dunklee <steve.dunklee_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:08:20 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <209737.72194.qm_at_web113919.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

This would all have been a mute point had the reactors been designed to separate the fuel rods by gravity in case of power loss. With cooling water fed by gravity with enough stored to last several days. Most reactors it seems use the same bad design. The water has to be pumped in. However due to this disaster it will lead to newer and safer designs. Cheers Steve

On Wed Mar 16th, 2011 3:50 AM EDT Barrett wrote:

>Hello Count, et al-
>Just a quick comment here on something most people aren't aware of.
>
>>The facts are, as of a minute ago, that there has been no containment
>vessel breach in any of the reactors.
>It is being reported that one of the containment vessels are cracked.
>
>
>>What has happened, is that some fuel rod assemblies have been damaged by
>loss of coolant and resulting overtemp. They can melt into each other, but
>they can't burn through the vessel, >or start a fire, as there is no
>graphite in the GE design.
>
>I don't know about THIS particular reactor, but..... Almost ALL reactors use
>ZIRCONIUM as the metal for the fuel rods and other various parts for the
>reactors. ZIRCONIUM ignites easily and CAN NOT be put out by water. Water
>just feeds it and produces hydrogen & oxygen (We already know about what
>THAT does). I've been listen almost non-stop to FNN and CNN and I've yet to
>hear anyone talking about this fact. While there are a few ways to put out a
>zirconium fire, as long as the fuel rods themselves stay "hot" they really
>don't stand a lot of chance of putting the fire out. Smothering a zirconium
>metal fire with salt is one way to do it. The salt melts over the burning
>zirconium and encapsulates it. Even with a relatively small amount of
>zirconium, it takes a LONG time for it to smother and cool to safe levels.
>Personally, I'd like to hear some of the nuclear engineers speak to this on
>TV. FWIW- ZIRCONIUM is used by the Navy and Airforce in many incendiary
>bombs. It burns so hot and furious that it burns right thru the steel on
>heavily armored tanks and burns thru the cement used in bunkers. Zirconium
>is the wildcard that everyone is overlooking here. If the zirconium catches
>fire, it WILL melt and burn its way thru anything.
>
>Try Googleing ZIRCONIUM METAL and WESTERN ZIRCONIUM in Ogden, UT and see for
>yourself. It's nasty stuff when it ignites, but it's also the most corrosion
>resistant metal known.
>-Barrett
>
>
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Received on Wed 16 Mar 2011 04:08:20 AM PDT