Oxidation behavior of spent UO/sub 2/ fuel

Journal Article · Tue Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1989 · Nuclear Technology; (USA)

OSTI ID:5534832

Campbell, T K; Gilbert, E R; Thornhill, C K; Wrona, B J ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)

To support dry storage technology oxidation tests were conducted with light water reactor spent fuel. The initial rate of weight gain for spent fuel was up to 50 times greater than the initial rate for nonirradiated pellets. Spent fuel formed measurable U/sub 4/O/sub 9+x/ particulates at weight gains significantly higher than those at which the nonirradiated pellets formed U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ powder. Initial test results on three types of pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel indicated that fuel type had a significant influence on weight gain. Additional tests were performed at temperature levels from 135 to 230{sup 0}C on fuel with burnups from 8 to 34 GWd/tonne U irradiated in five different reactors. The tests were conducted in static air at controlled moisture levels in a 10/sup 5/ R/h gamma field. In the United States, dry storage of light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel at reactor sites is a licensed alternative to storage in water pools.

• OSTI ID: 5534832
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology; (USA), Journal Name: Nuclear Technology; (USA) Vol. 84:2; ISSN NUTYB; ISSN 0029-5450
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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