Lead-bismuth eutectic

For other uses, see LBE (disambiguation).

Lead-Bismuth Eutectic or LBE is a eutectic alloy of lead (44.5 at%) and bismuth (55.5 at%) used as a coolant in some nuclear reactors, and is a proposed coolant for the lead-cooled fast reactor, part of the Generation IV reactor initiative. It has a melting point of 123.5 °C/254.3 °F (pure lead melts at 327 °C/621 °F, pure bismuth at 271 °C/520 °F) and a boiling point of 1,670 °C/3,038 °F.[1][2]

Lead-bismuth alloys with between 30% and 75% bismuth all have melting points below 200 °C/392 °F. Alloys with between 48% and 63% bismuth have melting points below 150 °C/302 °F. [3] While lead expands slightly on melting and bismuth contracts slightly on melting, LBE has negligible change in volume on melting.

  1. ^ NEA. "Handbook on lead-bismuth eutectic alloy and lead properties, materials compatibility, thermal-hydraulics and technologies – 2015 edition". Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). Retrieved 2022-06-05.
  2. ^ Fazio, Concetta; Sobolev, V.P.; Aerts, A.; Gavrilov, S.; Lambrinou, K.; Schuurmans, P.; Gessi, A.; Agostini, P.; Ciampichetti, A.; Martinelli, L.; Gosse, S.; Balbaud-Celerier, F.; Courouau, J.L.; Terlain, A.; Li, N.; Glasbrenner, H.; Neuhausen, J.; Heinitz, S.; Zanini, L.; Dai, Y.; Jolkkonen, M.; Kurata, Y.; Obara, T.; Thiolliere, N.; Martin-Munoz, F.J.; Heinzel, A.; Weisenburger, A.; Mueller, G.; Schumacher, G.; Jianu, A.; Pacio, J.; Marocco, L.; Stieglitz, R.; Wetzel, T.; Daubner, M.; Litfin, K.; Vogt, J.B.; Proriol-Serre, I.; Gorse, D.; Eckert, S.; Stefani, F.; Buchenau, D.; Wondrak, T.; Hwang, I.S. (2015). Handbook on lead-bismuth eutectic alloy and lead properties, materials compatibility, thermal-hydraulics and technologies - 2015 edition (PDF). Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD (NEA). p. 950.
  3. ^ http://www.nea.fr/html/science/reports/2007/pdf/chapter2.pdf Handbook on Lead-bismuth Eutectic Alloy and Lead Properties