U₃Si₂ behavior in H₂O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen

Journal Article · Wed Jan 17 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.002· OSTI ID:1417827

Wood, Elizabeth Sooby ^[1]; White, Joshua Taylor ^[2]; Grote, Christopher John ^[2]; Nelson, Andrew Thomas  ^[2]

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1. The Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Recent interest in U₃Si₂ as an advanced light water reactor fuel has driven assessment of numerous properties, but characterization of its response to H₂O environments is absent from the literature. The behavior of U₃Si₂ in H₂O containing atmospheres is investigated and presented in a two-part series of articles aimed to understand the degradation mechanism of U₃Si₂ in H₂O. Reported here are thermogravimetric data for U₃Si₂ exposed to flowing steam at 250–470 °C. Additionally the response of U₃Si₂ to flowing Ar-6% H₂ from 350 to 400 °C is presented. Microstructural degradation is observed following hours of exposure at 350 °C in steam. U₃Si₂ undergoes pulverization on the timescale of minutes when temperatures are increased above 400 °C. In conclusion, this mechanism is accelerated in flowing Ar-H₂ at the same temperatures.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC52-06NA25396
• OSTI ID: 1417827
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1506713
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-17-30039
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 501; ISSN 0022-3115
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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