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Another first by Indian nuclear scientists

Indian scientists and engineers added yet another feather to their caps when they successfully developed and produced, for the first time in the world, a critical component for nuclear reactors called Zircaloy-4 (square channel) through the seamless route.

The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex, a major unit of the Department of Atomic Energy, produced the square channels for the Tarapur Atomic Power Station, after its supply was stopped by the United States, Canada and Japan following the post-Pokhran sanctions imposed on the country.

NFC chief executive C Ganguly said the institution's scientists and engineers, taking the sanctions as a challenge, produced the critical components employing a novel technique, doing away with the welding process.

The NFC had already fabricated about 80 channels each costing Rs 500,000 and sent them to Tarapur. About 100 channels were needed for "recharge" of the reactor every year.

He said an enormous amount of foreign exchange had to be spent earlier for the import of these channels.

Dr Ganguly said that unlike the conventional circular channels, those produced by the NFC were non-circular and much more superior than the welded ones made abroad, which had irradiation characteristics. The seamless channels produced at the NFC were not affected by radiation and had better micro structure texture.

He said South Korea recently placed an order with the NFC for the supply of Zircaloy-4 bars for use in nuclear reactors in that country.

The NFC's Zirconium sponge plant was being refurbished at a cost of about Rs 100 million to cope with the growing Zircaloy production.

The source mineral for the production of Zirconium metal was Zircon (Zirconium Silicate), available in the beach sand deposits of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Orissa.

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