IRRADIATION TESTING OF INJECTION-CAST Al-Pi-Ni ALLOY FUEL RODS

Technical Report · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4091785

Koler, R K; Freshley, M D; Bailey, W J

A process was developed for the pneumatic-injection casting of 90-inch long, Al-Pu --Ni alloy fuel cores directly into cladding tubes within a glove box on a laboratory scale. Cast-bonded Al-2 wt% Pu-2 wt% Ni alloy. 1/2-inch diameter rods with 0.035-inch Zircaloy cladding were made with densities over 95 percent o wrought density and with clad-to-core bond shear strengths of 3000 to 4500 psi. Difficulty was encountered in meeting the specifications pertaining to plutonium distribution. This problem was in part due to equipment limitations and was not completely resolved. Fuel rod shortening was observed after both ex- and in-reactor tests. Post-irradiation metallographic examination indicated no significant microstructural changes in the fuel cores, hydriding of the cladding, or change in the core-clad reaction zone. Wire loosening was observed. Fretting corrosion was not observed. Satisfactory irradiation performance was demonstrated with Zircaloy-clad, Al-Pu --Ni alloy fuel rods, fabricated by pneumatic injection casting of the fuel alloy directly into the cladding. These rods generated maximum rod powers of 20 to 25 kw/ft with maximum surface heat fluxes in the range 460,000--588,000 Btu/hr-ft/sup 2/. Twenty to sixty percent burnups of the plutonium atoms were reached. The encouraging experimental results indicate that the fabrication method warrants further consideration as a potential remote reprocessing technique. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(45-1)-1350
• NSA Number: NSA-18-008867
• OSTI ID: 4091785
• Report Number(s): HW-SA-2909; CONF-39-107
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALUMINUM ALLOYS
ATOMS
BONDING
BURNUP
CASTING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COATING
CORROSION
DENSITY
DISTRIBUTION
FABRICATION
GLOVEBOXES
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRIDES
INJECTION
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING
METALLOGRAPHY
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
PNEUMATICS
RADIATION PROTECTION
REACTORS
REMOTE HANDLING
REPROCESSING
RODS
SHEAR
SURFACES
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TUBES
WIRES
ZIRCALOY
ZONES