Challenges and opportunities to alloyed and composite fuel architectures to mitigate high uranium density fuel oxidation: Uranium mononitride

Watkins, Jennifer K.; Wagner, Adrian R.; Jaques, Brian J.; Gonzales, Adrian; Sooby, Elizabeth S.

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153048

Challenges and opportunities to alloyed and composite fuel architectures to mitigate high uranium density fuel oxidation: Uranium mononitride

Journal Article · Sat May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153048· OSTI ID:1846159

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Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Boise State Univ., ID (United States)
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Boise State Univ., ID (United States); Center for Advanced Energy Studies, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, TX (United States)

We see the challenges and opportunities to alloyed and composite fuel architectures designed and intended to mitigate oxidation of the fuel during a cladding breech of a water-cooled reactor are discussed in three review manuscripts developed in parallel, with the presented article focused on the oxidation performance of uranium mononitride. Several high uranium density fuels are under consideration for deployment as accident tolerant and/or advanced technology nuclear reactor fuels, including one on each: UN, U₃Si₂, UC and UB₂. Presented here is the research motivation for the incorporation of additives, dopants, or composite fuel architectures to improve the oxidation/corrosion behavior of high uranium density nuclear fuels for use in LWRs. Furthermore, this review covers the literature on the degradation modes, thermodynamics, and oxidation performance of pure UN and UN-compounds as well as reported alloyed and composite architectures.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 1846159

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1788098

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-21-61432-Rev.01

Journal Information:: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: - Vol. 553; ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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