Fuel constituent redistribution during the early stages of U-Pu-Zr irradiation

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6552792

Porter, D L; Lahm, C E; Pahl, R G

Irradiation and fission-related phenomena in metallic fuels based on the U-Pu-Zr system result in fuel restructuring in the forms of fuel swelling (Xe/Kr bubble growth) and constituent redistribution. An experiment designed to analyze the early development of these phenomena and the correlative behavior between them has recently been completed. Fuel porosity development was traced carefully as a function of fuel burnup. The results indicated that the porosity distributions would lead to significant changes in fuel operating temperature. Concurrent observations concerning composition redistribution indicated that the porosity development preceded significant constituent redistribution. The zirconium redistribution had been theorized to be related to the position of phase boundaries at specific locations within the thermal gradients existing in the fuel. The restructuring phenomena were analyzed in terms of how they may affect the existence of specific phases, and therefore atomic migration. 7 refs., 10 figs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6552792
• Report Number(s): CONF-8809202-1; ON: DE89003629
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360102* -- Metals & Alloys-- Structure & Phase Studies
ACTINIDES
ALLOY NUCLEAR FUELS
BUBBLES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIFFUSION
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
MATERIALS
METALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NUCLEAR FUELS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLUTONIUM
POROSITY
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SEGREGATION
SOLID FUELS
SWELLING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
ZIRCONIUM