A novel B4C/Al-316 L neutron absorbing clad plate prepared by cold spraying: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Due to the excellent mechanical properties and neutron shielding properties, B4C/Al composites have become the most commonly used neutron absorbers. However, there is a problem of mutual restriction between the B4C content and mechanical properties (at high temperature) in B4C/Al composites. Therefore, for a B4C/Al-316 L clad plate prepared by cold spraying and subsequent annealing, it was proposed that the 316 L substrate will bear the mechanical properties at the high temperature required by the material, while B4C/Al composites will be used for neutron absorption. The neutron shielding performance of the B4C/Al composites was evaluated by Monte Carlo approach. EBSD tests were performed to characterize the microstructure, and a series of tensile and shearing tests were carried out to characterize the mechanical properties of the B4C/Al-316 L clad plates. The results revealed that the B4C/Al-316 L clad plates have good neutron absorbing qualities and excellent mechanical properties at room temperature and high temperature. In addition, the fracture mechanism of B4C/Al composites on B4C/Al-316 L clad plates was analyzed.