Mandate
- Fundamental understanding of corrosion behaviour, monitoring and predicting corrosion of materials, components of reactor systems and reprocessing plants, development of remedial solutions, corrosion resistant materials and high temperature coatings.
Achievements
- Commissioned a pilot scale cooling water loop for evaluating the efficacy of multiple antibiofouling strategies for FBR condenser material
- Developed an automated mini cleaning loop for evolving efficient cleaning procedure for steam Generator tubes
- Commissioned a CVD system for Pyrolytic Graphite Coating and Demonstration of Pyrolytic Graphite Coating on a Process Crucible for Pyro-Reprocessing Application
- Developed ceramic coatings on HDG crucible with SiC interlayer by pack cementation for U-Zr alloy melting
- Developed Pyrolytic carbon coating on miniature uranium melting crucibles using CVD facility and Yttria coating on cathode processing HDG crucible using atmospheric plasma spray facility.
- Developed Thermal barrier ceramic coatings on SS 316L for Sacrificial core catcher of future FBR and Long term corrosion evaluation in molten sodium
- Developed a durable Plasma Sprayed Alumina Coating on Inconel 600 collars for Fast Reactor Neutron Detector Application
- BHAVINI works Completed: Assessed the 9th steam generator tube after post weld heat treatment and cleaning, Corrosion analysis of failed printed circuit boards, corrosion analysis of DSRDM electromagnet, atmospheric corrosion of carbon steel housing for under vessel neutron detectors and failure analysis of paint issues of 9Cr-1Mo AHX Tubes.
- FBTR, Civil & FRFCF: Provided service support to for service water corrosion measurement, corrosion measurement of various components, intergranular corrosion studies, DFT measurements, and characterization services.
- DAE Units and organizations:
- Microbiological and chemical characterization of corrosion products from the failed pipelines of the condenser cooling water system of Kaiga
- Failure analysis of thermo-syphon evaporator used in KARP
- Failure analysis of resistance temperature detectors of Kudankulam nuclear power project,
- Failure analysis of microbiological corrosion of Krishnagiri dam shutters (Tamilnadu public works department).
- For AUSC, in collaboration with IIT, Mumbai and NML, test beds for steam and fire side corrosion data generation was set up and steam side corrosion allowance for Inconel 617M and 740H at 713 and 723 oC is evaluated and developed a pickling and passivation protocol for AUSC alloy steel materials.
Expertise
- Chemical vapour deposition facility for coating pyrolytic graphite on high density graphite crucibles
- Atmospheric plasma spray system for high temperature ceramic coatings for pyro-chemical reprocessing applications
- Ferrofluid Seal and Test assembly (with FRTG)
- Force Spectroscopy based on Magnetic chaining Technique
- Automated light scattering facility to probe field induced nanostructures
- Magnetic hyperthermia facility with IRT for studies on field assisted heating of magnetic nanofluids
- Opto-rheological facility to probe micro-structural evolution of ferrofluid seal under shear
- Graphene oxide (GO) and polymer based anti-corrosion coatings on Carbon Steel
- High performance green nuclear concrete through nanophase modification and inhibitor addition for seawater applications,
Infrastructure/Facilities
- Corrosion monitoring tools
- Corrosion characterization facilities
- Scanning electrochemical microscope
- glow discharge optical emission spectrometer
- Laser Raman Spectroscopy
- Atomic Force Microscope
- X-Ray Diffraction
- Thermo-Gravimetry Analyser cum Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, etc.
- Coating facilities
- atmospheric plasma spray system
- chemical vapour deposition facility
- Magnetic fluid hyperthermia facility
- Rheometers
- Particle size
- VSM
- Liquid cell imaging AFM
- in house developed force spectroscopy
- light scattering facility
- phase contrast microscope with magnetic trap etc.
KUKA Robot and Torches
Ceramic and Pyrolytic Graphitc Coating
Superhydrophobic (SHP) Coating
Smarts color changing nanofluide
Nanofluide based defect sensor
Nanofluids based cation sensor