Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Fuel Cladding Chemical Interaction between Minor Actinides bearing U-Pu-Zr Fuel and AIM1 Cladding

Chen, Di; Burns, Jatuporn; Wright, Karen E.; Salvato, Daniele; Yao, Tiankai; Capriotti, Luca

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.155667

Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Fuel Cladding Chemical Interaction between Minor Actinides bearing U-Pu-Zr Fuel and AIM1 Cladding

Journal Article · Mon Feb 03 00:00:00 EST 2025 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.155667· OSTI ID:3001475

^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Salvato, Daniele ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]

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

Minor actinides (MA) significantly contribute to the long-term radiotoxicity of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Separating MA from SNF and incorporating it into metallic fuels for fast reactor transmutation is a potential method to reduce this radiotoxicity. Here, this study focuses on transmission electron microscopy characterization of two samples from the fuel cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) region of an americium (Am) and neptunium (Np)-bearing (MA-bearing) uranium-plutonium-zirconium (U-Pu-Zr) fuel irradiated in the Phenix fast reactor to 9.5 % FIMA burnup at approximately 550 °C cladding temperature. The results show that despite the complex chemical interactions between MA and AIM1 cladding elements, excessive FCCI was not induced, and Am penetration depth in the cladding limited to less than 4 µm. Np remained mostly inside fuel. The Zr-rich compounds layer effectively limited the accumulation of lanthanide on the inner cladding surface. Overall, the FCCI behavior between investigated MA-bearing U-Pu-Zr fuel and AIM1 cladding is benign.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

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

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 3001475

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2520579

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU--24-81195-

Journal Information:: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: 2025 Vol. 607; ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (23)

Am-Pu (Americium-Plutonium) Okamoto, H. Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion, Vol. 32, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11669-011-9957-z	journal	September 2011
Analysis of constituent redistribution in the γ (bcc) U–Pu–Zr alloys under gradients of temperature and concentrations Sohn, Y. H.; Dayananda, M. A.; Hofman, G. L. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 279, Issue 2-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(99)00290-1	journal	June 2000
In-situ investigation of the formation of nickel silicides during interaction of single-crystalline and amorphous silicon with nickel Bokhonov, B.; Korchagin, M. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, Vol. 319, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-8388(01)00902-1	journal	April 2001
Assessment of the correlation between M23C6 precipitates and pitting corrosion resistance of 0Cr13 martensitic stainless steel Zhao, Yonggang; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Tianyi Corrosion Science, Vol. 189 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2021.109580	journal	August 2021
On the formation mechanism of UZr2 phase Basak, Chandra Bhanu; Prabhu, N.; Krishnan, Madangopal Intermetallics, Vol. 18, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intermet.2010.05.006	journal	September 2010
Constituent redistribution in U–Pu–Zr fuel during irradiation Kim, Yeon Soo; Hofman, G. L.; Hayes, S. L. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 327, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2004.01.012	journal	April 2004
Modeling of constituent redistribution in U–Pu–Zr metallic fuel Kim, Yeon Soo; Hayes, S. L.; Hofman, G. L. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 359, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2006.07.013	journal	December 2006
Decomposition of the γ phase in as-cast and quenched U–Zr alloys Irukuvarghula, S.; Ahn, Sangjoon; McDeavitt, S. M. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 473 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2016.02.028	journal	May 2016
Fuel cladding chemical interaction in metallic sodium fast reactor fuels: A historical perspective Keiser, Dennis D. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 514 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.09.045	journal	February 2019
Postirradiation Examination of FUTURIX-FTA metallic alloy experiments Harp, Jason M.; Capriotti, Luca; Chichester, Heather J. M. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 515 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.12.051	journal	March 2019
α-U and ω-UZr2 in neutron irradiated U-10Zr annular metallic fuel Yao, Tiankai; Capriotti, Luca; Harp, Jason M. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 542 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152536	journal	December 2020
Transmission Electron Microscopy based Characterization of a U-20Pu-10Zr Fuel Irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II Yao, Tiankai; Liu, Xiang; Wang, Yachun Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 568 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153846	journal	September 2022
The formation mechanism of the Zr rind in U-Zr fuels Benson, Michael T.; Yao, Tiankai; Zelina, Joshua N. Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 572 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.154057	journal	December 2022
Characterization of micro-burnup treat irradiated U-22.5 at.% Zr and U-52.8 at.% Zr foils by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction Williams, Walter J.; Yao, Tiankai; Pu, Xiaofei Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 585 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154644	journal	November 2023
Nuclear fuel cycle strategies including Partitioning and Transmutation Salvatores, M. Nuclear Engineering and Design, Vol. 235, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2004.10.009	journal	March 2005
Modeling constituent redistribution in U–Pu–Zr metallic fuel using the advanced fuel performance code BISON Galloway, J.; Unal, C.; Carlson, N. Nuclear Engineering and Design, Vol. 286 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2015.01.014	journal	May 2015
Lanthanide migration and immobilization in metallic fuels Xie, Yi; Zhang, Jinsuo; Li, Xiang Progress in Nuclear Energy, Vol. 109 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.08.019	journal	November 2018
Polyoxometalates as ligands to synthesize, isolate and characterize compounds of rare isotopes on the microgram scale Colliard, Ian; Lee, Jonathan R. I.; Colla, Christopher A. Nature Chemistry, Vol. 14, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-01018-8	journal	September 2022
Evolution under Irradiation of Optimized Austenitic Steel For Gen-IV Reactors. Impact on Fuel Cladding Properties and Performances Courcelle, Arnaud; Bisor, Caroline; Piozin, Emma EPJ Web of Conferences, Vol. 115 https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201611504003	journal	January 2016
Precipitation behavior of M ₂₃ C ₆ carbides and its effect on mechanical properties of Ni-based Alloy 690 Lee, Tae-Hyuk; Suh, Ho-Young; Lee, Jong-Hyeon Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, Vol. 58, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1797595	journal	July 2020
Structure and stability of δ-UZr₂ phase in U-50 wt% Zr alloy Basak, C. B.; Poswal, A. K. Philosophical Magazine, Vol. 102, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1080/14786435.2021.2017050	journal	December 2021
Fatigue-Induced HCP-to-FCC Phase Transformation Resulting in Two FCC-Zr Variants in Pure Zirconium Jiang, Qing; Chen, Yao; Shuai, Qi Materials, Vol. 16, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16186215	journal	September 2023
Insight into the FCC→HCP Transformation in Co-Rich Co-Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni High-Entropy Alloys Wang, Yuchen; Wu, Changjun; Liu, Ya Metals, Vol. 13, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030504	journal	March 2023

Similar Records

U.S. Plans for the Next Fast Reactor Transmutation Fuels Irradiation Test

Conference · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · OSTI ID:20979754

Progress of nitride fuel cycle research for transmutation of minor actinides

Conference · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · OSTI ID:20979658

Fabrication and Pre-irradiation Characterization of a Minor Actinide and Rare Earth Containing Fast Reactor Fuel Experiment for Irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor

Technical Report · Thu May 31 20:00:00 EDT 2012 · OSTI ID:1048404

Related Subjects

Chemical interaction
Cladding
FCCI
Metallic Fuel
Minor Actinides
Spent Nuclear Fuel
Transmission Electron Microscopy

Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Fuel Cladding Chemical Interaction between Minor Actinides bearing U-Pu-Zr Fuel and AIM1 Cladding

Citation Formats

References (23)

Similar Records

Related Subjects