Electroclad Aluminum on Uranium

Abstract

Electroplating of aluminum was studied at Battelle in 1953–55 as an alternative method for aluminum cladding of uranium fuel elements. Uranium electroclad with 12 mils of aluminum over a 0.5‐mil nickel or nickel‐plus‐copper electroplate resisted corrosion for more than 100 hr in boiling water. Hot pressing the electroclad composite improved the corrosion resistance. Many of the results obtained with aluminum electrocladdings paralleled those obtained with wrought aluminum claddings on uranium.