An investigation of the failure modes in U-10Mo monolithic fuel irradiated to high burnup

Smith, Charlyne A.; Jue, Jan-Fong; Keiser Jr., Dennis D.; Trowbridge, Tammy L.; Miller, Brandon D.; Robinson, Adam B.; Winston, Alexander; Giglio, Jeffery

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.154202

An investigation of the failure modes in U-10Mo monolithic fuel irradiated to high burnup

Journal Article · Wed Dec 14 23:00:00 EST 2022 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.154202· OSTI ID:1957642

Smith, Charlyne A. ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Trowbridge, Tammy L. ^[1]; Miller, Brandon D. ^[1]; Robinson, Adam B. ^[1]; Winston, Alexander ^[1]; Giglio, Jeffery ^[1]

Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Here, this study investigated possible failure mode sequences in U-10Mo monolithic fuel irradiated to very-high-burnup. The U-Mo fuel plate used in this study was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), and image analysis techniques to investigate how microstructural features may initiate crack formation and propagation through the microstructure, potentially leading to blistering. Distinctly large fission gas pores (FGPs) were observed to preferentially align 5-15µm away from the U-10Mo/Zr interface, parallel to the Zr diffusion barrier. Preferential growth, alignment, and interconnection of FGP could initiate blistering in the fuel plate by creating a fission gas channel, parallel to the U-Mo/Zr interface. FGP alignment in the fuel phase near the U-Mo/Zr interface is believed to be one of the precursors to crack and Type 2 blister formation in monolithic U-Mo fuels. The chemical maps revealed differences in fission product behavior near the U-Mo/Zr interface such that Nd remains in the fuel matrix at the FGP sites. On the other hand, other fission products like Xe and Cs can get trapped in FGPs by Nd in the fuel phase and/or diffuse toward the Zr diffusion barrier.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

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

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 1957642

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-22-66978

Journal Information:: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: - Vol. 575; ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (19)

Interdiffusion Between Zr Diffusion Barrier and U-Mo Alloy Huang, K.; Park, Y.; Keiser, D. D. Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion, Vol. 33, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11669-012-0106-0	journal	September 2012
Observed Changes in As-Fabricated U-10Mo Monolithic Fuel Microstructures After Irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor Keiser, Dennis; Jue, Jan-Fong; Miller, Brandon JOM, Vol. 69, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-017-2564-7	journal	August 2017
Microstructural characteristics of DU–xMo alloys with x=7–12wt% Burkes, Douglas E.; Hartmann, Thomas; Prabhakaran, Ramprashad Journal of Alloys and Compounds, Vol. 479, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2008.12.063	journal	June 2009
Microstructural analysis of as-processed U–10wt.%Mo monolithic fuel plate in AA6061 matrix with Zr diffusion barrier Perez, E.; Yao, B.; Keiser, D. D. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 402, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2010.04.016	journal	July 2010
Advantages and disadvantages of using a focused ion beam to prepare TEM samples from irradiated U–10Mo monolithic nuclear fuel Miller, B. D.; Gan, J.; Madden, J. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 424, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2012.01.022	journal	May 2012
Microstructural characteristics of HIP-bonded monolithic nuclear fuels with a diffusion barrier Jue, Jan-Fong; Keiser, Dennis D.; Breckenridge, Cynthia R. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 448, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.02.004	journal	May 2014
Interdiffusion and reactions between U–Mo and Zr at 650 °C as a function of time Park, Y.; Keiser, D. D.; Sohn, Y. H. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 456 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.09.040	journal	January 2015
Microstructural characterization of an irradiated RERTR-6 U-7Mo/AA4043 alloy dispersion fuel plate specimen blister-tested to a final temperature of 500 °C Keiser, Dennis D.; Jue, Jan-Fong; Gan, Jian Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 488 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.02.038	journal	May 2017
Irradiated microstructure of U-10Mo monolithic fuel plate at very high fission density Gan, J.; Miller, B. D.; Keiser, D. D. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 492 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.05.035	journal	August 2017
Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier Jue, Jan-Fong; Keiser, Dennis D.; Miller, Brandon D. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 499 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.072	journal	February 2018
Microstructural characterization of as-fabricated and irradiated U-Mo fuel using SEM/EBSD Jadernas, Daniel; Gan, Jian; Keiser, Dennis Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 509 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.06.007	journal	October 2018
Effects of UMo irradiation creep on the thermo-mechanical behavior in monolithic UMo/Al fuel plates Yan, Feng; Jian, Xiaobin; Ding, Shurong Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 524 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.07.006	journal	October 2019
Microstructural response of the fuel phase in U-7Mo dispersion fuel irradiated at different powers Smith, Charlyne A.; Miller, Brandon D.; Keiser, Dennis Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 542 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152481	journal	December 2020
Microstructural dependence on fuel matrix composition in irradiated U-Mo dispersion fuels Smith, Charlyne A.; Keiser, Dennis D.; Miller, Brandon D. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 550 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.152943	journal	July 2021
High burnup structure formation in U-Mo fuels Smith, Charlyne A.; Biswas, Sudipta; Miller, Brandon D. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 563 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153617	journal	May 2022
Comparison of manual and automated image analysis techniques for characterization of fission gas pores in irradiated U-Mo fuels Smith, Charlyne A.; Keiser, Dennis D.; Miller, Brandon D. Micron, Vol. 119 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2019.01.008	journal	April 2019
Shutdown-induced tensile stress in monolithic miniplates as a possible cause of plate pillowing at very high burnup Medvedev, P. G.; Ozaltun, H.; Robinson, A. B. Nuclear Engineering and Design, Vol. 328 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2018.01.004	journal	March 2018
Development and Irradiation Performance of Uranium Aluminide Fuels in Test Reactors Beeston, J. M.; Hobbins, R. R.; Gibson, G. W. Nuclear Technology, Vol. 49, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32515	journal	June 1980
IRRADIATION PERFORMANCE OF U-Mo MONOLITHIC FUEL Meyer, M. K.; Gan, J.; Jue, J. F. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Vol. 46, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.5516/NET.07.2014.706	journal	April 2014

Similar Records

Possible impacts of Mo chemical banding and second phase impurities on the irradiation behavior of monolithic U-10Mo fuels

Journal Article · Wed Jan 11 23:00:00 EST 2023 · Journal of Nuclear Materials · OSTI ID:2309748

Irradiated microstructure of U-10Mo monolithic fuel plate at very high fission density

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Journal of Nuclear Materials · OSTI ID:1364119

SEM Characterization of an Irradiated Monolithic U-10Mo Fuel Plate

Conference · Sun Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 2010 · OSTI ID:980787

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
U-Mo
blistering
crack
fission gas pore interconnection
high burnup structure

An investigation of the failure modes in U-10Mo monolithic fuel irradiated to high burnup

Citation Formats

References (19)

Similar Records

Related Subjects