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THE EFFECTS OF IRRADIATION ON SOME BINARY ALLOYS OF THORIUM-PLUTONIUM AND ZIRCONIUM-PLUTONIUM

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4803711· OSTI ID:4803711
A specimen of cast thorium-5 wt% plutonium and one of thorium-10 wt% plutonium were irradiated to total atom burnups of 1.9 and 2.6%, respectively, at maximum fuel temperatures of approximately 450 deg C. Both alloys displayed excellent dimensional stability with volume increases of 0.8 and 1.2% per atom per cent burnup, respectively. Three cold-rolled specimens of zirconium-5 wt% plutonium and one cold-rolled specimen of zirconium-7 wt% plutonium were also irradiated. The zirconium- plutonium alloy specimens all showed extremely poor dimensional stability, with anisotropic elongations ranging from approximately 100 to 500%. The irradiation growth coefficients for these specimens ranged from 90 to 210 microinches per inch per atom per cent burnup. The poor dimensional stability of the zirconium-- plutonium alloy specimens is attributed to a highly preferred grain orientation that presumably developed during cold rolling. (auth)
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., Ill.
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
NSA Number:
NSA-16-029435
OSTI ID:
4803711
Report Number(s):
ANL-6428
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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