Consolidation of zircaloy-4 end crops by induction melting

The Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant is investigating the use of induction melting as a method of consolidating Zircaloy-4, a zirconium alloy used in the fabrication of submarine nuclear reactor cores. Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) furnished about 4000 lb of typical core material, also known as hardware, for use in evaluating induction melting as a method of consolidation. Three ingots were produced by the induction melting of hardware in a graphite crucible that was protected by a laminated coating specifically developed for this application. This report includes a description of both the equipment and the crucible coating materials used for this project, a discussion of results, and a production assessment of using this technique for full-scale consolidation.