Update on uranium-molybdenum fuel foil fabrication development activities at the Y-12 National Security Complex in 2007

Conference · Tue Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 2008

OSTI ID:21113547

DeMint, Amy; Gooch, Jack ^[1]; Dunavant, Randy J; Andes, Trent C ^[2]

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1. Technology Development, Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (United States)
2. National Security Programs, Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (United States)

In support of the RERTR Program, efforts are underway at Y-12 to develop and validate a production oriented, monolithic uranium molybdenum (U-Mo) foil fabrication process adaptable for potential implementation in a manufacturing environment. These efforts include providing full-scale prototype depleted and enriched U-Mo foils in support of fuel qualification testing. The work has three areas of focus; develop and demonstrate a feasible foil fabrication process utilizing depleted uranium-molybdenum (DU-Mo) source material, transition these production techniques to enriched uranium (EU-Mo) source material, and evaluate full-scale implementation of the developed production techniques. In 2006, Y-12 demonstrated successful fabrication of full-size DU-10Mo foils. In 2007, Y-12 activities were expanded to include continued DU-Mo foil fabrication with a focus on process refinement, source material impurity effects (specifically carbon), and the feasibility of physical vapor deposition (PVD) on DU-10Mo mini-foils. FY2007 activities also included a transition to EU-Mo and fabrication of full-size enriched foils. The purpose of this report is to update the RERTR audience on Y-12 efforts in 2007 that support the overall RERTR Program goals. (author)

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Nuclear Engineering Division, RERTR Department, Argonne, IL (United States); Czech Technical University, Prague (Czech Republic)
• OSTI ID: 21113547
• Report Number(s): INIS-US--08N0001
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
DEPLETED URANIUM
ENRICHED URANIUM
FABRICATION
FOILS
IMPLEMENTATION
IMPURITIES
MOLYBDENUM
NATIONAL SECURITY
PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
URANIUM-MOLYBDENUM FUELS