FISSION-PRODUCT RELEASE FROM FUEL-ELEMENT CLADDINGS. Quarterly Progress Report for October-December 1963

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1964

OSTI ID:4083211

Elleman, T S; cocks, G G; Bugl, J; Bauer, A A

Postirradiation heating experiments to study Xe/sup 133/ release from foils of iron-20 wt% chromium-alloy specimens impregnated with fission recoils showed that release is time, temperature, and concentration dependent. An activation energy of 36 kcal per mole is associated with an initial rapid or burst release component while a lower activation energy of 20 kcal per mole appears to be associated with a slower long-time release component. The rate of release is concentration dependent in both components. The gas-release behavior is apparently strongly influenced by gas-bubble formation. In postirradiation heating experiments to measure release of Xe/sup 133/ through material unaffected by fission recoils, no measurable release is observed. Thus, unless irradiation affects the gasdiffusion behavior, significant release by diffusion through the cladding of a fuel element would not be expected. In solid-fission-product studies diffusion coefficients are determined at 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 deg C for a concentration of 2 x 10/sup -5/ recoils per cm/sup 2/. Diffusion coefficients and activation energies for molybdenum, ruthenium, and highdiffusion- rate components of tellurium and zirconium are about the same as that for the diffusion of chromium in stainless steel. Cerium, barium, iodine, and the slower zirconium component give noticeably lower diffusion coefficients and activation energies. (auth)

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, Ohio
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-92
• NSA Number: NSA-18-010522
• OSTI ID: 4083211
• Report Number(s): BMI-X-10072; EURAEC-936
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACTIVATION
BARIUM
BUBBLES
CERIUM
CHROMIUM
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COATING
DIFFUSION
ENERGY
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IMPREGNATION
IODINE
IRON ALLOYS
MEASURED VALUES
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MOLYBDENUM
RADIATION EFFECTS
RECOILS
RUTHENIUM
SHEETS
STAINLESS STEELS
TELLURIUM
XENON 133
ZIRCONIUM