EXPERIMENTS TO DETERMINE THE RADIATION STABILITY OF UN DISPERSIONS IN STAINLESS STEEL
A controlled radiation experiment was performed to determine the stability of fuel containing 28 wt.% UN dispersed in and clad with Type 318 stainless steel as compared with fuel containing 30 wt.% UO/sub 2/ dispersed in the same material. The specimens were prepared by hot rolling the fuel coupons in Type 318 stainless steel using the picture-frame technique for initial bonding and reduction. Final dimensions were obtained by cold rolling. A special radiation capsule was designed which contained heat control and enough thermocouples to ensure a good continuoustemperature history throughout the test. This capsule and the method by which the specimens were loaded are discussed in some detail. Because of the capsule instrumentatton. the known MTR position into which the capsule was placed. and the dostmeters placed tn the capsule it was possible to obtain a complete flux and temperature history of the capsule during the irradiation. When it was estimated that the specimen burnup was about 7.2 at.% of uranium-235 the capsule was removed from the reactor and returned to the Battelle Hot-Cell Facility. The postirradiation examination which consisted of fission-gas analysis, density and dimensional determinations, radiochemical and isotropic burnup analysis, and metallography is discussed completely in the report. The results of the various phases of the experiment are discussed and conclusions are drawn on the basis of an integrated evaluation. These results indicate that the UN dispersions withstood irradiation at temperatures of 1500 to 2000 tained F and at burnups of 3.5 to 5.0 at.% of the uranium-235 at least as well as the UO/sub 2/ dispersions. These conclusions indicate the potential of UN as a high-temperature fuel, however, it is also obvious that many additional radiation experiments are required. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-92
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-019497
- OSTI ID:
- 4175181
- Report Number(s):
- BMI-1446
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BONDING- BURNUP- COLD WORKING- CONTROL- DISPERSIONS- ENRICHMENT- FUEL CANS- FUELS- HEATING- HOT WORKING- INSTRUMENTS- IRRADIATION- NEUTRON FLUX- RADIATION DETECTORS- RADIATION EFFECTS- REACTOR FUELING- REACTORS- REDUCTION- ROLLING- STABILITY- STAINLESS STEELS- TESTING- THERMOCOUPLES- URANIUM DIOXIDE- URANIUM NITRIDES- URANIUM 235
BURNUP- DENSITY- DISPERSIONS- ENRICHMENT- FISSION PRODUCTS- FUEL CANS- FUELS- GASES- HIGH TEMPERATURE- METALLOGRAPHY- QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS- RADIATION EFFECTS- RADIOCHEMISTRY- REMOTE HANDLING- STAINLESS STEELS- URANIUM DIOXIDE- URANIUM NITRIDES- URANIUM 235- VOLUME