Mr. Brian Cheadle

Brian Cheadle is an expert on the fabrication of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes, how their microstucture and crystallographic are developed and how they will perform during service. He studied Metallurgy at the University of Sheffield, England obtaining a B Met, an M Met and a PhD on the pearlite transformation in low alloy steels. In 1962 he joined AECL-CRNL and worked on the development of the alloy Zr-2.5Nb and also on a higher strength alloy Excel. He worked with the Chase Brass and Copper Company for many years developing the fabrication of cold worked Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes which involved getting small batches of tubes made by different fabrication routes that would change the microstructure and texture in order to get better in-reactor properties. His last 10 years with AECL were as Director of the Reactor Materials Research Division. One of his last big tasks was to develop the fabrication of pressure tubes for the CANDU reactors that were sold to China as the USA had a nuclear embargo on China. After retiring from AECL he has worked for the Candu Owners Group (COG) and for several years was the Technical Director of their Fuel Channel Research Program. In 2010 he was awarded the ASTM William J. Kroll Medal for his work developing improved fuel channel components for CANDU reactors.