Microstructural Characterization of Irradiated U-7Mo/Al-5Si Dispersion to High Fission Density

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.08.052· OSTI ID:1162213

Gan, J.; Miller, B. D.; Keiser, Jr., D. D.; Robinson, A. B.; Madden, J. W.; Medvedev, P. G.; Wachs, D. M.

The fuel development program for research and test reactors calls for improved knowledge on the effect of microstructure on fuel performance in reactors. This work summarizes the recent TEM microstructural characterization of an irradiated U-7Mo/Al-5Si dispersion fuel plate (R3R050) irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory to 5.2×1021 fissions/cm3. While a large fraction of the fuel grains is decorated with large bubbles, there is no evidence showing interlinking of these large bubbles at the specified fission density. The attachment of solid fission product precipitates to the bubbles is likely the result of fission product diffusion into these bubbles. The process of fission gas bubble superlattice collapse appears through bubble coalescence. The results are compared with the previous TEM work of the dispersion fuels irradiated to lower fission density from the same fuel plate.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE - NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1162213
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-14-31557
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: 1-3 Vol. 545; ISSN 0022-3115
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
TEM characterization
fuel performance
gas bubble superlattice
irradiated U-7Mo/Al-5Si fuel plate