High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U-Np-Pu-Am-Zr alloy

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.12.016· OSTI ID:1177623

Janney, Dawn E. ^[1]; Madden, James W. ^[1]; O'Holleran, Thomas P. ^[1]; Kennedy, J. Rory ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Structural, microstructural, and microchemical data were collected from rare-earth inclusions in an as-cast U-Pu-Zr alloy with ~3 at% Am, 2% Np, and 9% rare-earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, and Nd). Two RE phases with different concentrations of Am were identified. The composition of high-Am RE inclusions is ~2-5 at% La, 15-20 % Ce, 5-10% Pr, 25-45% Nd, 1% Np, 5-10% Pu, and 10-20% Am. Some areas also have O, although this does not appear to be an essential part of the high-Am RE phase. The inclusions have a face-centered cubic structure with a lattice parameter a ~ 0.54 nm. The composition of the only low-Am RE inclusion studied in detail is ~~35-40 at% O, 40-45 % Nd, 1-2% Zr, 4-5% La, 9-10% Ce, and 6-7% Pr. This inclusion is an oxide with a crystal structure similar to the room-temperature structure of Nd₂O₃. Microstructural features suggest that oxidation occurred during casting, and that early crystallization of high-temperature oxides led to formation of two distinct RE phases.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1177623
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-14-33203; TRN: US1500056
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 458; ISSN 0022-3115
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
FCC LATTICES
INCLUSIONS
Alloy Nuclear Fuels
Transmutation
Uranium Alloys
Plutonium Alloys
Neptunium Alloys
Americium Alloys
Zirconium Alloys
Lanthanum Alloys
Cerium Alloys
Praseodymium Alloys
Neodymium Alloys
Neodymium Oxides
Zirconium Oxides
Lanthanum Oxides
Cerium Oxides
Praseodymium Oxides
CASTING
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CRYSTALLIZATION
Crystal Structure
MICROSTRUCTURE
OXIDATION
LATTICE PARAMETERS
AM PHASES
NUCLEAR FUELS
RARE-EARTH PHASES
U-PU-ZR ALLOYS