Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO2 fuel composites

Jaques, Brian J.; Watkins, Jennifer; Croteau, Joseph R.; Alanko, Gordon A.; Tyburska-Puschel, Beata; Meyer, Mitch; Xu, Peng; Lahoda, Edward J.; Butt, Darryl P.

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.06.029

Title: Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO₂ fuel composites

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Abstract

In this study, the design and development of an economical, accident tolerant fuel (ATF) for use in the current light water reactor (LWR) fleet is highly desirable for the future of nuclear power. Uranium mononitride has been identified as an alternative fuel with higher uranium density and thermal conductivity when compared to the benchmark, UO₂, which could also provide significant economic benefits. However, UN by itself reacts with water at reactor operating temperatures. In order to reduce its reactivity, the addition of UO₂ to UN has been suggested. In order to avoid carbon impurities, UN was synthesized from elemental uranium using a hydride-dehydride-nitride thermal synthesis route prior to mixing with up to 10 wt% UO₂ in a planetary ball mill. UN and UN – UO₂ composite pellets were sintered in Ar – (0–1 at%) N₂ to study the effects of nitrogen concentration on the evolved phases and microstructure. UN and UN-UO₂ composite pellets were also sintered in Ar – 100 ppm N₂ to assess the effects of temperature (1700–2000 °C) on the final grain morphology and phase concentration.

Authors:

^[1]; Watkins, Jennifer ^[1]; Croteau, Joseph R. ^[1]; Alanko, Gordon A. ^[1]; Tyburska-Puschel, Beata ^[2]; Meyer, Mitch ^[3]; Xu, Peng ^[4];

^[4]; Butt, Darryl P. ^[1]

Boise State Univ., Boise, ID (United States); Center for Advanced Energy Studies, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI (United States)
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1294431

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1252219

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-15-35902
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115; PII: S002231151530057X

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517; 00120690

Resource Type:: Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Nuclear Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 466; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; uranium nitride; composite fuel; nuclear fuel

Citation Formats


                    Jaques, Brian J., Watkins, Jennifer, Croteau, Joseph R., Alanko, Gordon A., Tyburska-Puschel, Beata, Meyer, Mitch, Xu, Peng, Lahoda, Edward J., and Butt, Darryl P. Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO2 fuel composites.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.06.029.

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                    Jaques, Brian J., Watkins, Jennifer, Croteau, Joseph R., Alanko, Gordon A., Tyburska-Puschel, Beata, Meyer, Mitch, Xu, Peng, Lahoda, Edward J., & Butt, Darryl P. Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO2 fuel composites.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.06.029

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                    Jaques, Brian J., Watkins, Jennifer, Croteau, Joseph R., Alanko, Gordon A., Tyburska-Puschel, Beata, Meyer, Mitch, Xu, Peng, Lahoda, Edward J., and Butt, Darryl P. 2015.  
        "Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO2 fuel composites".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.06.029.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1294431.

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@article{osti_1294431,

  title        = {Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO2 fuel composites},

  author       = {Jaques, Brian J. and Watkins, Jennifer and Croteau, Joseph R. and Alanko, Gordon A. and Tyburska-Puschel, Beata and Meyer, Mitch and Xu, Peng and Lahoda, Edward J. and Butt, Darryl P.},

  abstractNote = {In this study, the design and development of an economical, accident tolerant fuel (ATF) for use in the current light water reactor (LWR) fleet is highly desirable for the future of nuclear power. Uranium mononitride has been identified as an alternative fuel with higher uranium density and thermal conductivity when compared to the benchmark, UO2, which could also provide significant economic benefits. However, UN by itself reacts with water at reactor operating temperatures. In order to reduce its reactivity, the addition of UO2 to UN has been suggested. In order to avoid carbon impurities, UN was synthesized from elemental uranium using a hydride-dehydride-nitride thermal synthesis route prior to mixing with up to 10 wt% UO2 in a planetary ball mill. UN and UN – UO2 composite pellets were sintered in Ar – (0–1 at%) N2 to study the effects of nitrogen concentration on the evolved phases and microstructure. UN and UN-UO2 composite pellets were also sintered in Ar – 100 ppm N2 to assess the effects of temperature (1700–2000 °C) on the final grain morphology and phase concentration.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.06.029},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1294431},
  journal      = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},

  issn         = {0022-3115},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 466,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Wed Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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Title: Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO2 fuel composites

Abstract

Citation Formats

Title: Synthesis and sintering of UN-UO₂ fuel composites