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IBC Advanced Alloys (TSXV:IB,OTCQX:IAALD) reported updates on the enhanced beryllium oxide nuclear fuel R&D program currently being conducted at Purdue University, Texas A&M University and MIT.
As quoted in the press release:
IBC its R&D partners have had a productive and promising 2012, reaching a number of important milestones as well as earning some prestigious honours. Highlights of the year include:
- Established an R&D partnership IBC with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) to predict and analyze the performance of the patented BeO nuclear fuel;
- Jim Malone, IBC’s Vice President of Nuclear Fuel, was appointed as Chair of the World Nuclear Associations Fuel Technology Working Group;
- Received Significant Contribution Award from the American Nuclear Society for introducing a High Thermal Conductivity UO2-BeO Nuclear Fuel Concept;
- Demonstrated how IBC’s BeO enhanced fuel, combined with CTP’s silicon carbide (SiC) cladding, could result in significant temperature reduction and better fuel stability leading to a safer and more accident tolerant fuel;
- The Texas A&M initiative, led by Dr. Sean McDeavitt, met a key and critical success metric by demonstrating the ability to produce high quality UO2-BeO pellets. This milestone is fundamental to the program’s ultimate success and will lead to scaled production of pellets for irradiation testing;
- The Texas A&M team is optimizing pellet production and testing variables such as powder size, purity and composition as well as sintering temperature, time and atmosphere prior to the industrial irradiation cycle;
- The Texas A&M team has evaluated the BeO impact on reactor core physics under normal operating conditions for a Generation-III Pressurized Water Reactor. Comparisons with standard UO2 fuel reveal that the BeO-enhanced fuel possesses the same characteristics as standard commercial fuel (similar reactivity coefficients, slightly longer cycle lengths) while reaching higher burnup rates.
- The Company has entered into discussions with a number of North American, European and Asian industry partners to explore and discuss the irradiation requirements of the fuel development program.
IBC Advanced Alloys President and CEO Anthony Dutton said:
We continue to be very excited by the potential and possibilities of a BeO enhanced nuclear fuel and remain committed to our R&D efforts and partners,” said “Energy analysts and industry experts remain in agreement that nuclear power will be an increasingly important component of our future energy needs,” continued Dutton, “and the technologies that contribute to improvements in safety will be actively supported. We have seen our work validated and endorsed by a number of important industry experts and we look forward to continuing to contribute to safer and economically stronger nuclear fuel industry.
Click here to read the IBC Advanced Alloys (TSXV:IB,OTCQX:IAALD) press release
Click here to see the IBC Advanced Alloys (TSXV:IB,OTCQX:IAALD) profile.