Microstructural evolution of Mo-UO2 cermets under high temperature hydrogen environments

Cureton, William F.; Zillinger, James; Rosales, Jhonathan; Wilkerson, Ryan P.; Lang, Maik; Barnes, Marvin

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152297

Microstructural evolution of Mo-UO₂ cermets under high temperature hydrogen environments

Journal Article · Tue Jun 09 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152297· OSTI ID:1801307

Cureton, William F. ^[1]; Zillinger, James ^[2]; Rosales, Jhonathan ^[3]; Wilkerson, Ryan P. ^[3]; Lang, Maik ^[4]; Barnes, Marvin ^[3]

Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL (United States); OSTI
Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID (United States); NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL (United States)
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL (United States)
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

Ceramic-metallic (cermet) materials show promise for use in nuclear thermal propulsion applications due to attractive thermophysical properties including high temperature stability and high thermal conductivity. In this work, molybdenum-uranium dioxide (Mo-UO₂) cermet fuel elements were fabricated by means of spark plasma sintering (SPS) and were subsequently exposed to hydrogen at high temperatures (2500 K). Mo-UO₂ samples pre- and post-exposure were characterized by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Microscopy analyses of the as-produced material displayed microscopic cracking on the interior of the spherical UO₂ fuel particles but confirmed that the fuel particles were fully encapsulated in the Mo matrix. The results further showed mass loss, macroscopic swelling, and cracking in the cermet samples which occurred during high temperature hydrogen testing. Nanoscale swelling was evidenced by XRD in the Mo matrix and UO₂ fuel structure due to the incorporation of defects and accompanied microstrain.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP)

Grant/Contract Number:: NE0008895

OSTI ID:: 1801307

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2329266
OSTI ID: 1693664

Journal Information:: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Vol. 538; ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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Microstructural evolution of Mo-UO2 cermets under high temperature hydrogen environments

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References (17)

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