Irradiation testing of a niobium-molybdenum developmental thermocouple

A need exists for a radiation‐resistant thermocouple capable of monitoring temperatures in excess of the limits of the chromel/alumel system. Tungsten/rhenium and platinum/rhodium thermocouples have sufficient temperature capability but have proven to be unstable because of irradiation‐induced decalibration. The niobium/molybdenum system is believed to hold great potential for nuclear applications at temperature up to 2000 K. However, the fragility of pure niobium and fabrication problems with niobium/molybdenum alloys have limited development of this system. Utilizing the Fast Flux Test Facility, a developmental thermocouple with a thermoelement pair consisting of a pure molybdenum and a niobium‐1%zirconium alloy wire was irradiated for 7200 hours at a temperature of 1070 K. The thermocouple performed flawlessly for the duration of the experiment and exhibited stability comparable to a companion chromel/alumel unit. A second thermocouple, operating at 1375 K, is currently being employed to monitor a fusi...