Fuel constituent redistribution during the early stages of U-Pu-Zr irradiation
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
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium on irradiation-enhanced materials science, Chicago, IL, USA, 25 Sep 1988; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Investigation of constituent redistribution in U-Pu-Zr fuels and its dependence on varying Zr content
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
PLUTONIUM
SEGREGATION
URANIUM
ZIRCONIUM
ALLOY NUCLEAR FUELS
BUBBLES
DIFFUSION
DISTRIBUTION
FUEL ELEMENTS
MICROSTRUCTURE
POROSITY
SWELLING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
ACTINIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SOLID FUELS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
360102* - Metals & Alloys- Structure & Phase Studies
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties