Manufacturability of U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} and its high temperature oxidation behaviour
- National Nuclear Laboratory, Preston Laboratory, Springfields, Salwick, Preston, Lancashire (United Kingdom)
- National Nuclear Laboratory, 5. Floor, Chadwick House, Birchwood Park, Warrington Cheshire (United Kingdom)
- Springfields Fuels Ltd, Springfields, Salwick, Preston, Lancashire (United Kingdom)
- Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, 5801 Bluff Road, Hopkins, SC (United States)
- Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, 1000 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township, PA (United States)
- Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, MS6188, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
High density fuels, such as uranium silicide (U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}), are being considered alongside improved cladding materials to develop new fuels which are both economic to manufacture and demonstrate enhanced accident tolerance. Through a collaborative programme led by Westinghouse and involving national laboratories in the US and UK, efforts are being made to establish a viable route by which U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} can be manufactured and to test its suitability as a fuel. In the UK work has focused on routes to convert UF{sub 6} and UF{sub 4} to U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} directly, without needing to reduce the uranium to its metallic state. Experimental observations of reactions between UF{sub 4} and Si indicate the formation of a USi{sub 2-x} phase at a temperature of 1000 C. degrees, consistent with thermodynamic assessments. Work on the construction of a rig which will pass UF{sub 6} heated to 1000 C. degrees through a bed of finely divided Si powder, is also reported. At Westinghouse, U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} fabricated by the arc-melting process has been subjected to high temperature steam and synthetic air tests and the reaction rate measured as a function of temperature using differential scanning calorimetry. The rates are compared to UO{sub 2} and UN (Uranium mononitride). At Idaho National Laboratory irradiation testing of U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} fuel is in progress. Fuel specimens were prepared by conventional arc melting process to formulate the U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} followed by conventional powder metallurgy processes to create pellets. These irradiation tests are intended to help resolve questions concerning the swelling of U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} under conditions representative of LWR fuel. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society - ANS, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22750089
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Top Fuel 2016: LWR fuels with enhanced safety and performance, Boise, ID (United States), 11-15 Sep 2016; Other Information: Country of input: France; 13 refs.; Related Information: In: Top Fuel 2016 Proceedings| 1670 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Fabrication of advanced accident tolerant U-Si fuel forms
PROGRESS RELATING TO CIVILIAN APPLICATIONS DURING MAY 1957