HIGH PERFORMANCE UO$sub 2$ PROGRAM. Quarterly Progress Report No. 10, July-September 1963

Technical Report · Tue Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4158893

Weidenbaum, B

In direct measurement of fission gas pressure in UO/sub 2/, all phases of the post-irradiation examination of two rods from the group of 5 irradiated rods were completed. Three irradiations were conducted in the GETR Pressurized Water Loop. A reappraisal of the hazards associated with the loop was conducted. The failed rod in fuel assembly EPT-12C had a longitudinal split, 2.5-cm long, in the peak heat flux zone of the rod. Although the rod was irradiated to a burnup of more thand 1.6 x 10/sup 20/ fissions/cm/sup 3/, hardness tests indicated that no loss in ductility was suffered by the cladding. A second rod in the EPT-12C assembly had a diameter increase of 0.48 mm and was slightiy bowed. A powder fuel assembly was irradiated to an average burnup of 2048 Mwd/T with a maximum heat flux of 1.45 x 10/sup 6/ for isothermal grain growth experiments. In the course of melting experiments, under a severe temperature gradient, a two-phase structure was found in the UO/sub 2/ structure as a result of the reaction between UO/sub 2/ and the alumina cladding. Heat treatments carried out at central temperatures just below the UO/sub 2/ melting point, with two different temperature gradients, produced structures that are indistinguishable from short- term-irradiated UO/sub 2/ specimens. (M.C.G.)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Atomic Power Equipment Dept., San Jose, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-18-000654
• OSTI ID: 4158893
• Report Number(s): GEAP-3771-10; EURAEC-847
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALUMINUM OXIDES
BURNUP
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONFIGURATION
DEGASSING
DUCTILITY
EXPANSION
FISSION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CANS
GRAIN SIZE
HARDNESS
HEAT TREATMENTS
IRRADIATION
LOSSES
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
MELTING POINTS
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
PELLETS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
POWDERS
PRESSURE
RODS
THERMAL RADIATION
THICKNESS
URANIUM DIOXIDE