High-Temperature Properties of Nuclear Graphite

The unique combination of physical properties inherent to graphite makes it an attractive material for use as a moderator in high-temperature nuclear reactors (HTR’s). High-temperature physical properties of three nuclear grade graphites manufactured by GrafTech International Holdings Inc. (GrafTech) (PCEA, PCIB-SFG, and PPEA) have been determined experimentally and are presented here. Tensile strength, Young’s modulus, thermal conductivity, specific resistance, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) data are collected at temperatures from 25 °C to as high as 2000 °C and are found to be consistent with classical graphite behavior.