ENGINEERING EVALUATION OF A MIXED ALLOY FUEL ELEMENT IRRADIATED AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES IN THE SRE
A fuel material evaluation was made by destructively examining a full- scale experimental fuel element, irradiated in the SRE to a maximum of 850 Mwd/ MTU. The fuel element contained beta-quenched 2.78% enriched unalloyed uranium, in both the cast and rolled forms; powder compacted U --1.2 wt.% Mo; cast U -1.5 wt.% Mo; cast U--2 wt.% Zr; and wrought Th--5.4 wt.% U (5% enriched). The Th-U alloy and the U--1.5 wt.% Mo alloy appeared to be promising fuels, and merit further work. The other U-Mo and U-Zr alloys, and the unalloyed uranium, in both the cast and wrought conditions, showed definite limitations. No significant difference in performance was noted between standard fuel slugs and slugs with intentionally included fabrication defects. Limited metallography, in both the preand postirradiation conditions, failed to show any significant radiation effeot, except for the appearance of voids in the U-2 wt.% Zr. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Atomics International Div., North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, Calif.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(11-1)-GEN-8
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-017043
- OSTI ID:
- 4180530
- Report Number(s):
- NAA-SR-3888
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CASTING
COMPACTING
DEFECTS
ENRICHMENT
FABRICATION
FORGING
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRRADIATION
METALLOGRAPHY
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
PERFORMANCE
POWDER METALLURGY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RODS
ROLLING
THORIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM
URANIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS