Steam explosions of single drops of molten aluminum and 6061 alloy

Aluminium-based melts have been shown to be explosive in many experiments performed by the aluminum industry and in several nuclear reactor experiments and accidents including NRX, SPERT, etc. In the aluminum industry, steam explosions continue to result in property damage, personal injuries and death. It is also known that certain alloying components, notably lithium, can enhance the strength of the explosions as well as the probability of their occurrence. In order to obtain quantitative information relating to the fuel-coolant interactions that might occur with uranium-aluminum fuel, a laboratory-scale experimental scoping study was started. 6 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.