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High Purity CO2 for Nuclear Technology Applications

Stringent-specification CO2 for gas-cooled reactors, supercritical power cycles, and nuclear facility operations.

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High Purity CO2 for Nuclear Technology

CO2 in Nuclear Technology

Carbon dioxide is used as a coolant in gas-cooled reactors that employ graphite as a neutron moderator. As a coolant, CO2 is non-flammable, chemically stable, inert, non-toxic, inexpensive, and well-characterised — making it ideally suited for demanding nuclear environments.

Both the UK Magnox reactor and the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) used CO2 as their primary coolant, demonstrating decades of proven performance in commercial nuclear power generation.

High purity is essential to prevent corrosion of reactor internals and maintain the highest levels of operational safety. Even trace levels of moisture, oxygen, or hydrocarbons can compromise component integrity and reactor performance.

Nuclear Applications of High Purity CO2

Reactor Coolant

CO2 is used in gas-cooled reactors (GCR) and advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) as the primary heat-transfer medium. Non-flammable, stable, and inert — it is ideal for nuclear environments where safety is paramount.

Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles

S-CO2 Brayton cycles achieve thermal efficiencies of 45–50% at 650°C, significantly outperforming conventional steam cycles. This approach reduces compression power consumption with medium core outlet temperature.

Purge & Inerting Gas

Ultra-pure CO2 is used for purging and inerting in nuclear facilities, maintaining contamination-free environments critical to safe operations and regulatory compliance.

Why Purity is Critical in Nuclear Applications

  • Most stringent specifications — nuclear applications demand the highest purity levels of any CO2 end-use
  • Corrosion prevention — trace impurities such as moisture and oxygen can cause corrosion of reactor components and internals
  • Sub-ppm moisture control — moisture must be maintained at sub-ppm levels to protect critical systems
  • Full traceability — every batch must be fully traceable with a Certificate of Analysis documenting all quality parameters
  • Regulatory compliance — supply must meet nuclear industry safety standards and quality assurance requirements

Nuclear-Grade CO2 Specifications

Parameter Nuclear-Grade Specification
CO2 Purity ≥99.999%
Moisture <0.5 ppm
Oxygen <0.5 ppm
Total Hydrocarbons <0.5 ppm
Nitrogen <5 ppm
Traceability Full batch certification

Partner with Sicgil for Nuclear-Grade CO2

Reliable supply of stringent-specification CO2 with full batch traceability for nuclear technology applications.

Request Nuclear-Grade Specifications Speak to a Specialist