Pre- and postirradiation evaluation of TRISO ThO/sub 2/ particles irradiated in capsule HT-34

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6689417· OSTI ID:6689417

Young, C. A.; Jones, C. S.

Capsule HT-34 was irradiated jointly by General Atomic Company (GA) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report presents the pre- and postirradiation evaluation conducted by GA. The purpose of the test was to characterize the mechanical and chemical performance and fission product release of TRISO ThO/sub 2/ particles. Sixteen TRISO ThO/sub 2/ samples, which had been fabricated in the production-line (240-mm-ID) coater, were irradiated at approximately 1200 and 1450/sup 0/C to neutron fluences of 5.1 to 10.2 x 10/sup 25/ n/m/sup 2/ (E > 29 fJ)/sub HTGR/, and burnups of 5.1 to 12.7% FIMA. Following are the results of the postirradiation examination: the OPyC coating failure of the 800-..mu..m-diameter particles irradiated at 1200/sup 0/C was less than or equal to 1.8%; the pressure-vessel model overpredicted failure up to seven times the observed failure for the samples irradiated at 1200/sup 0/C; palladium attack and internal corrosion of the SiC coating was observed in the samples irradiated at 1200/sup 0/C; internal corrosion of the SiC coating caused SiC failure up to 100% in the samples irradiated at 1450/sup 0/C; and an average of 16 and 90% of the Cs was released from failed particles irradiated at 1200 and 1450/sup 0/C, respectively, after 2686 h of irradiation.

• Research Organization: General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-76ET35300
• OSTI ID: 6689417
• Report Number(s): GA-A-15612; TRN: 81-002946
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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COATED FUEL PARTICLES
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HTGR TYPE REACTORS
BURNUP
CORROSION
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FUEL ELEMENT FAILURE
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
HIGH TEMPERATURE
INSPECTION
IRRADIATION
METALLOGRAPHY
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ACCIDENTS
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CHALCOGENIDES
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OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
210300* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Graphite Moderated