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Title: Dense nanocrystalline UO 2+ x fuel pellets synthesized by high pressure spark plasma sintering

Abstract

Abstract Nanocrystalline UO 2+ x powders are prepared by high‐energy ball milling and subsequently consolidated into dense fuel pellets (>95% of theoretical density) under high pressure (750  MP a) by spark plasma sintering at low sintering temperatures (600°C‐700°C). The grain size achieved in the dense nano‐ceramic pellets varies within 60‐160 nm as controlled by sintering temperature and duration. The sintered fuel pellets are single phase UO 2+ x with hyper‐stoichiometric compositions as derived by X‐ray diffraction, and micro‐Raman measurements indicate that random oxygen interstitials and Willis clusters dominate the single phase nano‐sized oxide pellets of UO 2.03 and UO 2.11 , respectively. The thermal conductivities of the densified nano‐sized oxide fuel pellets are measured by laser flash, and the fuel stoichiometry displays a dominant effect in controlling thermal transport properties. A reduction in thermal conductivity is also observed for the dense nano‐sized pellets as compared with micron‐sized counterparts reported in the literature. The correlation among the SPS sintering parameters—microstructure control—properties is established, and the nano‐sized UO 2+ x pellets with controlled microstructure can serve as the model systems for fundamental understandings of fuel behaviors and obtaining critical experimental data for multi‐physics MARMOT model validation.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy New York
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1408189
Resource Type:
Publisher's Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of the American Ceramic Society
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Journal Volume: 101 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0002-7820
Publisher:
Wiley-Blackwell
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Yao, Tiankai, Scott, Spencer M., Xin, Guoqing, Gong, Bowen, and Lian, Jie. Dense nanocrystalline UO 2+ x fuel pellets synthesized by high pressure spark plasma sintering. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1111/jace.15289.
Yao, Tiankai, Scott, Spencer M., Xin, Guoqing, Gong, Bowen, & Lian, Jie. Dense nanocrystalline UO 2+ x fuel pellets synthesized by high pressure spark plasma sintering. United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.15289
Yao, Tiankai, Scott, Spencer M., Xin, Guoqing, Gong, Bowen, and Lian, Jie. Wed . "Dense nanocrystalline UO 2+ x fuel pellets synthesized by high pressure spark plasma sintering". United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.15289.
@article{osti_1408189,
title = {Dense nanocrystalline UO 2+ x fuel pellets synthesized by high pressure spark plasma sintering},
author = {Yao, Tiankai and Scott, Spencer M. and Xin, Guoqing and Gong, Bowen and Lian, Jie},
abstractNote = {Abstract Nanocrystalline UO 2+ x powders are prepared by high‐energy ball milling and subsequently consolidated into dense fuel pellets (>95% of theoretical density) under high pressure (750  MP a) by spark plasma sintering at low sintering temperatures (600°C‐700°C). The grain size achieved in the dense nano‐ceramic pellets varies within 60‐160 nm as controlled by sintering temperature and duration. The sintered fuel pellets are single phase UO 2+ x with hyper‐stoichiometric compositions as derived by X‐ray diffraction, and micro‐Raman measurements indicate that random oxygen interstitials and Willis clusters dominate the single phase nano‐sized oxide pellets of UO 2.03 and UO 2.11 , respectively. The thermal conductivities of the densified nano‐sized oxide fuel pellets are measured by laser flash, and the fuel stoichiometry displays a dominant effect in controlling thermal transport properties. A reduction in thermal conductivity is also observed for the dense nano‐sized pellets as compared with micron‐sized counterparts reported in the literature. The correlation among the SPS sintering parameters—microstructure control—properties is established, and the nano‐sized UO 2+ x pellets with controlled microstructure can serve as the model systems for fundamental understandings of fuel behaviors and obtaining critical experimental data for multi‐physics MARMOT model validation.},
doi = {10.1111/jace.15289},
journal = {Journal of the American Ceramic Society},
number = 3,
volume = 101,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.15289

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Cited by: 19 works
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