Aqueous Corrosion of Zircaloy-Clad Fuel Elements with High Uranium Cores
- Nuclear Metals, Inc., Concord, MA (United States)
Corrosion behavior is a prime consideration in the design of a fuel element to be used in a water-cooled nuclear reactor. Despite their inherently poor corrosion resistance, economically attractive natural uranium or its high alloys can be made into satisfactory fuel elements by use of a sound protective cladding. For U - 2 w/o Zr alloys, the protection offered by the cladding has been increased by the use of a diffusion heat treatment. Despite such protective measures, however, allowance must be made for the occurrence of cladding flaws which would permit exposure of the core material and consequent corrosion, leading to destruction of the fuel element. Various techniques have been used to study the corrosion of fuel elements with artificial cladding defects in water at temperatures up to 349°C (660°F). These studies have indicated that even in 349°C (660°F) water, the corrosion of certain defected fuel elements is slow enough to permit detection in time for a safe reactor shut down. Such fuel element failure is not expected to be disastrous in terms either of uranium release or of physical damage to the fuel element. Reactors can be designed with appropriate detection systems to permit exploitation of the other advantages of high-uranium metallic fuel elements without concern for the consequences of exposure of the core to water.
- Research Organization:
- Nuclear Metals, Inc., Concord, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-015943
- OSTI ID:
- 4155247
- Report Number(s):
- NMI-TJ--23
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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