Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier

Jue, Jan -Fong; Keiser, Jr., Dennis D.; Miller, Brandon D.; Madden, James W.; Robinson, Adam B.; Rabin, Barry H.

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.072

Title: Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier

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Abstract

Irradiated fuel plates were characterized by microscopy that focused on the interface between U–Mo and Zr. Before irradiation, there were three major sub-layers identified in the U–Mo/Zr interface, namely, UZr₂, Mo₂Zr, and U with low Mo. The typical total thickness of this U–Mo/Zr interaction is 2–3 microns. The UZr₂ sub-layer formed during fuel fabrication remains stable after irradiation, without large bubbles/porosity accumulation. However, this sub-layer becomes increasingly discontinuous as burnup increases. The low-Mo sub-layer exhibits numerous sub-micron bubbles/porosity at low burnup. Larger, interconnected porosity in this sub-layer was observed in a medium-burnup fuel specimen. However, at higher burnup, regions with the extra-large bubbles/porosity (i.e., larger than 5 ?m) were observed at least 5 microns away from the original location of this sub-layer. The mechanism for the formation of the extra-large bubbles/porosity is still unclear at this time. In general, the U–Mo/Zr interface in monolithic U–Mo fuels is relatively stable after irradiation. As a result, no large detrimental defects, such as large interfacial bubbles or cracks/delamination, were observed in the fuel plates characterized.

Authors:

^[1];

^[1]; Rabin, Barry H. ^[1]

Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

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

OSTI Identifier:: 1478419

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1549045

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-17-42480-Rev000
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Nuclear Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 499; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; U-Mo; Zirconium; Diffusion Barrier; Monolithic

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                    Jue, Jan -Fong, Keiser, Jr., Dennis D., Miller, Brandon D., Madden, James W., Robinson, Adam B., and Rabin, Barry H. Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.072.

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                    Jue, Jan -Fong, Keiser, Jr., Dennis D., Miller, Brandon D., Madden, James W., Robinson, Adam B., & Rabin, Barry H. Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.072

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                    Jue, Jan -Fong, Keiser, Jr., Dennis D., Miller, Brandon D., Madden, James W., Robinson, Adam B., and Rabin, Barry H. Wed .  
"Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.072.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1478419.

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@article{osti_1478419,

  title        = {Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier},

  author       = {Jue, Jan -Fong and Keiser, Jr., Dennis D. and Miller, Brandon D. and Madden, James W. and Robinson, Adam B. and Rabin, Barry H.},

  abstractNote = {Irradiated fuel plates were characterized by microscopy that focused on the interface between U–Mo and Zr. Before irradiation, there were three major sub-layers identified in the U–Mo/Zr interface, namely, UZr2, Mo2Zr, and U with low Mo. The typical total thickness of this U–Mo/Zr interaction is 2–3 microns. The UZr2 sub-layer formed during fuel fabrication remains stable after irradiation, without large bubbles/porosity accumulation. However, this sub-layer becomes increasingly discontinuous as burnup increases. The low-Mo sub-layer exhibits numerous sub-micron bubbles/porosity at low burnup. Larger, interconnected porosity in this sub-layer was observed in a medium-burnup fuel specimen. However, at higher burnup, regions with the extra-large bubbles/porosity (i.e., larger than 5 ?m) were observed at least 5 microns away from the original location of this sub-layer. The mechanism for the formation of the extra-large bubbles/porosity is still unclear at this time. In general, the U–Mo/Zr interface in monolithic U–Mo fuels is relatively stable after irradiation. As a result, no large detrimental defects, such as large interfacial bubbles or cracks/delamination, were observed in the fuel plates characterized.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.072},

  journal      = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 499,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017},

  month        = {Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017}

}

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