U3Si2 behavior in H2O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen

Wood, Elizabeth Sooby; White, Joshua Taylor; Grote, Christopher John; Nelson, Andrew Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.002

Title: U₃Si₂ behavior in H₂O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen

Abstract

Recent interest in U₃Si₂ as an advanced light water reactor fuel has driven assessment of numerous properties, but characterization of its response to H₂O environments is absent from the literature. The behavior of U₃Si₂ in H₂O containing atmospheres is investigated and presented in a two-part series of articles aimed to understand the degradation mechanism of U₃Si₂ in H₂O. Reported here are thermogravimetric data for U₃Si₂ exposed to flowing steam at 250–470 °C. Additionally the response of U₃Si₂ to flowing Ar-6% H₂ from 350 to 400 °C is presented. Microstructural degradation is observed following hours of exposure at 350 °C in steam. U₃Si₂ undergoes pulverization on the timescale of minutes when temperatures are increased above 400 °C. In conclusion, this mechanism is accelerated in flowing Ar-H₂ at the same temperatures.

Authors:

Wood, Elizabeth Sooby ^[1]; White, Joshua Taylor ^[2]; Grote, Christopher John ^[2];

^[2]

The Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: 2018-01-17

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1417827

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1506713

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-17-30039
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Nuclear Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 501; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; Material Science

Citation Formats


                    Wood, Elizabeth Sooby, White, Joshua Taylor, Grote, Christopher John, and Nelson, Andrew Thomas. U3Si2 behavior in H2O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.002.

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                    Wood, Elizabeth Sooby, White, Joshua Taylor, Grote, Christopher John, & Nelson, Andrew Thomas. U3Si2 behavior in H2O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.002

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                    Wood, Elizabeth Sooby, White, Joshua Taylor, Grote, Christopher John, and Nelson, Andrew Thomas. Wed .  
"U3Si2 behavior in H2O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.002.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1417827.

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@article{osti_1417827,

  title        = {U3Si2 behavior in H2O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen},

  author       = {Wood, Elizabeth Sooby and White, Joshua Taylor and Grote, Christopher John and Nelson, Andrew Thomas},

  abstractNote = {Recent interest in U3Si2 as an advanced light water reactor fuel has driven assessment of numerous properties, but characterization of its response to H2O environments is absent from the literature. The behavior of U3Si2 in H2O containing atmospheres is investigated and presented in a two-part series of articles aimed to understand the degradation mechanism of U3Si2 in H2O. Reported here are thermogravimetric data for U3Si2 exposed to flowing steam at 250–470 °C. Additionally the response of U3Si2 to flowing Ar-6% H2 from 350 to 400 °C is presented. Microstructural degradation is observed following hours of exposure at 350 °C in steam. U3Si2 undergoes pulverization on the timescale of minutes when temperatures are increased above 400 °C. In conclusion, this mechanism is accelerated in flowing Ar-H2 at the same temperatures.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.002},

  journal      = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 501,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2018},

  month        = {1}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.002

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Cited by: 37 works

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Figure 1: Thermogram of Zr sponge exposed to flowing steam ramped from 400-1000°C in three different Al₂O₃ crucible geometries: platform (red), modi ed DTA crucible (green), and deep-DTA crucible (black).

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Title: U3Si2 behavior in H2O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen

Abstract

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Title: U₃Si₂ behavior in H₂O: Part I, flowing steam and the effect of hydrogen