Transmission electron microscopy characterization of irradiated U–7Mo/Al–2Si dispersion fuel

The plate-type dispersion fuels, with the atomized U(Mo) fuel particles dispersed in the Al or Al alloy matrix, are being developed for use in research and test reactors worldwide. It is found that the irradiation performance of a plate-type dispersion fuel depends on the radiation stability of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nuclear materials 2010-01, Vol.396 (2-3), p.234-239
Main Authors: Gan, J., Keiser, D.D., Wachs, D.M., Robinson, A.B., Miller, B.D., Allen, T.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
Applied sciences
BUBBLES
Controled nuclear fusion plants
dispersion fuel
DISPERSION NUCLEAR FUELS
Energy
Energy. Thermal use of fuels
Exact sciences and technology
FISSION
fission gas bubbles
Fission nuclear power plants
FUEL PARTICLES
FUEL PLATES
Fuels
GASES
Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy
IRRADIATION
irradiation performance
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
Nuclear fuels
POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION
RADIATIONS
RERTR-6 experiment
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RETENTION
SILICON ADDITIONS
STABILITY
SUPERLATTICES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
U-7Mo/matrix interaction layers
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Summary:The plate-type dispersion fuels, with the atomized U(Mo) fuel particles dispersed in the Al or Al alloy matrix, are being developed for use in research and test reactors worldwide. It is found that the irradiation performance of a plate-type dispersion fuel depends on the radiation stability of the various phases in a fuel plate. Transmission electron microscopy was performed on a sample (peak fuel mid-plane temperature ∼109°C and fission density ∼4.5×1027fm−3) taken from an irradiated U–7Mo dispersion fuel plate with Al–2Si alloy matrix to investigate the role of Si addition in the matrix on the radiation stability of the phase(s) in the U–7Mo fuel/matrix interaction layer. A similar interaction layer that forms in irradiated U–7Mo dispersion fuels with pure Al matrix has been found to exhibit poor irradiation stability, likely as a result of poor fission gas retention. The interaction layer for both U–7Mo/Al–2Si and U–7Mo/Al fuels is observed to be amorphous. However, unlike the latter, the amorphous layer for the former was found to effectively retain fission gases in areas with high Si concentration. When the Si concentration becomes relatively low, the fission gas bubbles agglomerate into fewer large pores. Within the U–7Mo fuel particles, a bubble superlattice ordered as fcc structure and oriented parallel to the bcc metal lattice was observed where the average bubble size and the superlattice constant are 3.5nm and 11.5nm, respectively. The estimated fission gas inventory in the bubble superlattice correlates well with the fission density in the fuel.
ISSN:0022-3115
1873-4820
DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.11.015