The quest for safer nuclear fuels

Journal Article · 09 April 2024 · Nature Reviews Chemistry

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-024-00596-0 · OSTI ID:2370064

Gunther, S. Olivia  ^[1]; Schacherl, Bianca  ^[1]

---

1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Here, to increase the safety and performance of nuclear reactors, researchers are working on developing ‘accident tolerant’ fuels. Ideally, these fuel pellets will be less susceptible to swelling and be more resistant to extreme heat. This led chemists to develop uranium dioxide (UO₂) doped with divalent elements, E²⁺. These dopants can introduce vacancies into the lattice that lead to larger grain sizes, which create longer pathways for fission gasses to migrate out of the grains. In undoped fuel, fission gas build-up at grain boundaries causes the fuel pellet to swell. Therefore, having larger grains that slow fission gas migration into grain boundaries is highly desired. Divalent Cr²⁺ ions are a commonly explored dopant for UO₂ fuels. These materials have larger grain sizes while maintaining the dissolution kinetics of undoped UO₂, making their long-term storage and disposal paths similarly safe. Atomistic models have suggested that Mn²⁺ is a conceivable alternative doping material, with the potential to increase the sizes of grains even more than Cr²⁺ dopants. As such, experimental studies are required to understand the physical chemistry and reactivity of these potential fuels.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 2370064
• Journal Information: Nature Reviews Chemistry, Journal Name: Nature Reviews Chemistry Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 8; ISSN 2397-3358
• Publisher: Springer NatureCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English