THE IRRADIATION BEHAVIOR OF ZrO$sub 2$-UO$sub 2$ FUELS

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4761648

Rubin, B F; Berman, R M; Bleiberg, M L

Plate-type fuel elements containing ZrO/sub 2/ -- UO/sub 2/ fuel with a wide range of UO/sub 2/ loadings were tested in pressurized hot water loops over a range of surface heat flux values, and the in-pile behavior of these elements was determined. The ZrO/sub 2/-base fuels were found to be extremely plastic in- pile and to undergo densification to essentially 100% theoretical density very shortly after the beginning of exposure. Irradiation-induced phase changes were observed by x-ray diffraction, with multiphase compositions homogenizing into a single, metastable phase with the fluoritetype structure. Fission gas precipitates internally as bubbles, beginning at an early stage of irradiation. The in-pile fuel swelling is linear with exposure, after correction for initial densification, up to 40 x 10/sup 20/ fissions/cc and was determined to be 0.7% DELTA V per 10/sup 20/ fissions/cc for compositions between 25 and 48 wt% UO/sup 2/ and temperatures between 1300 and 2300 deg F. (auth)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-14
• NSA Number: NSA-17-006752
• OSTI ID: 4761648
• Report Number(s): WAPD-264
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALLOTROPY
BUBBLES
DEFORMATION
DENSITY
DIFFRACTION
EXPANSION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
HIGH TEMPERATURE
MATERIALS TESTING
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
PLATES
PRECIPITATION
PRESSURE
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTORS
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WATER
X RADIATION
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES