DEVELOPMENT OF URANIUM NITRIDE-STAINLESS STEEL DISPERSION FUEL ELEMENTS

Technical Report · Fri Jul 31 04:00:00 EDT 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4252832· OSTI ID:4252832

Paprocki, S. J.; Keller, D. L.; Cunningham, G. W.; Foulds, Jr., A. K.

In research in support of the GCRE, procedures for the fabrication of stainless steel-clad flat-plate fuel elements having a core of 28 w/o UN dispersed in an iron-18 w/o chromium--14 w/o nickel--2.5 w/o molybdenum matrix were developed. The preparation of UN and its compatibility with the components of the matrix alloy were studied. The UN for the program was prepared by nitriding uranium metal at 850 C and then dissociating the U/sub 2/N/sub 3/ produced to UN in a vacuum at 1300 C. In compatibility studies, UN reacted with nickel alone at 1800 F, but no reaction with nickel was observed when the other matrix components were also present. The effects of fabricational variables were evaluated by metallographic examination, longitudinal and transverse tensile tests, bend tests, and corrosion tests. Studies indicated that minus 200 plus 325-mesh UN dispersed in a minus 325-mesh elemental-powder matrix rolled green vith a 30 per cent initial reduction at 2100 F and then annealed 3 hr at 2300 F produced the best fuel core. (auth)

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, Ohio
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-92
• NSA Number: NSA-13-019224
• OSTI ID: 4252832
• Report Number(s): BMI-1365
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANISOTROPY
ANNEALING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
DISPERSIONS
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
GCRE-1
METALLOGRAPHY
METALLURGY AND CERAMICS
NICKEL
PLATES
POWDERS
PREPARATION
PYROLYSIS
REACTORS
ROLLING
STAINLESS STEELS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
URANIUM
URANIUM NITRIDES
VACUUM