Irradiation of TZM: uranium dioxide fuel pin at 1700 K

Technical Report · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1973

OSTI ID:4338716

McDonald, G E

A fuel pin clad with TZM and containing solid pellets of uranium dioxide was fission-heated in a static helium-cooled capsule at a maximum surface temperature of 1700 deg K for 1000 h and to a total burnup of 2.0% of the uranium- 235. The results of the postirradiation examination indicated: (1) A transverse, intergranular failure of the fuel pin occurred when the fuel pin reached 2.0% bunnup. This corresponds to 1330 kW-h/cm/sup 3/, where the volume is the sum of the fuel, clad, and void volumes in the fuel region. (2) The maximum swelling of the fuel pin was less than 1.5% on the fuel-pin diameter. (3) There was no visible interaction between the TZM clad and the UO/sub 2/. (4) Irradiation at 1700 deg K produced a coarse-grained structure, with an average grain diameter of 0.02 cm and with some of the grains extending onehalf of the thickness of the clad. (5) Below ~-1500 deg K, the irradiation of the clad produced a moderately fine-grained structure, with an average grain diameter of 0.004 cm. (auth)

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, Ohio (USA). Lewis Research Center
• NSA Number: NSA-29-018787
• OSTI ID: 4338716
• Report Number(s): N--73-27588; NASA-TM-X--2755; E--7277
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*ALLOY-TZM-- PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
*FUEL PINS-- PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
*URANIUM DIOXIDE-- FUEL PINS
BURNUP
FUEL CANS
FUEL PELLETS
GRAIN SIZE
N50140* --Metals
Ceramics
& Other Materials--Ceramics & Cermets--Radiation Effects
N50240 --Metals
Ceramics
& Other Materials--Metals & Alloys--Radiation Effects
N79300 --Reactors--Reactor Fuels
NUCLEAR FUELS
SWELLING
TIME DEPENDENCE
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
VOIDS