Effects of stoichiometry on cladding attack in UO/sub 2/--PuO/sub 2/
A significant reduction in and a change in the character of fuel-cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) due to a reduction in the oxygen-to-metal ratio (O/M) were established for uranium--plutonium mixed-oxide fuels clad with 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel irradiated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II. Fuel pins from the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory P-23C subassembly at initial fuel O/Ms of 1.94, 1.95, and 1.97 were examined at peak burnups of 1.1, 2.5, and 3.6 at.%. The depth of FCCI increased with increasing burnup and temperature, but the relative effects of fuel O/M did not change. An approximate three-fold reduction in FCCI resulted from a reduction in fuel O/M from 1.97 to 1.95 at approx. 3.6 at.% burnup. The peak FCCI in the lower O/M fuel was approx. 5 ..mu..m and appeared as a preferential loss of cladding at grain boundaries and slip planes on the cladding inner surface. In contrast, the typical FCCI in the higher O/M (1.97) fuel pin was matrix in character, and penetrated approx. 14 ..mu..m into the cladding. Thus, FCCI in mixed-oxide fuel can be reduced to negligible levels by lowering the O/M during manufacture of the fuel.
- Research Organization:
- Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA
- OSTI ID:
- 6413612
- Journal Information:
- Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 42:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effects of stoichiometry on cladding attack in mixed-oxide fuels to approx. 3. 6 at% burnup
Fuel-cladding chemical interaction in mixed-oxide fuels. [LMFBR]
Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
FUEL-CLADDING INTERACTIONS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
STAINLESS STEEL-316
STOICHIOMETRY
URANIUM DIOXIDE
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
MATERIALS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
REACTORS
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding
360105 - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion