Skip to content.
home » Departments » Nuclear Materials Technology

Nuclear Materials Technology

ife For more than 40 years IFE has gathered experience in the field of nuclear fuel technology and nuclear materials research. The Hot Laboratory supports the two experimental nuclear reactors in Norway and the Halden Reactor Project with fuel and services.

Nuclear Materials Technology holds a broad licence, has an engaged and qualified staff, a good and inspiring working environment, and  a wide range of facilities and technologies.

The Hot Laboratory is designed to accept fuel rods and/or assemblies and structural components from HBWR and JEEP 2 in dry condition. Main purpose of the Hot Cell facility is Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) of fuel rods and structural components and refabrication of fuel rods and/or structural components. Other activities include UO2-pellet production, fabrication of fresh, standard and instrumented experimental fuel rods, service and maintenance of the Hot Laboratory and its installations, nuclear waste handling, and safety.

The Nuclear Materials Technology department has the following facilities:

  • A Hot Laboratory with three concrete cells with 1 m thick concrete walls and 4 windows with 1 m thick lead glass incorporated in the front wall of the caves. The celles are furnished with a periscope and movable equipment for non-destructive (NDT), destructive tests (DT), and benches for refabrication/instrumentation. Additionally there are  separate lead shielded cells (4 + 1 + 1) with lead-glas windows furnished with div. movable equipment for DT PIE, namely cutting devices, equipment for metallographic and chemical sample preparation, a macroscope, optical microscopes, etc.
  • A neutronradiography laboratory at the JEEP 2 reactor.
  • Auxiliary installations such as an unloading bay for shipping flasks, storage pits, decontamination rooms, maintenance room for active components etc.
  • A pilot production plant for experimental nuclear fuel rods has a complete line for fuel pellet production.

The HOTLAB database - HOTLAB Capabilities and Techniques 

The HOTLAB database was established in the frame of the HOTLAB project which is part of the 6th framework programme of the European Union. Description of IFE Hot Laboratory in the HOTLAB database.


Author: Barbara C. Oberländer, 2008-10-23
External Links
Copyright © Institute for Energy Technology Powered by Plone