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Model representation of the physicochemical and diffusion properties during thermal extraction of gas from alloyed uranium dioxide

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The release of the process gases H2, H2O, CO, CO2, and Ar from alloyed samples of uranium dioxide by oxides of Nb, Ce, Al, Si, and Fe has been studied by means of thermal extraction in vacuum at 1873 K. The niobium concentration in U1−yNbyO2 was 0.06–0.2 mass % (y = 0.001–0.004), the cerium content was 0–25 mass% (y = 0–0.3434), and the content of mullite or Indian red did not exceed 0.25 mass%, the oxygen potential Δ̄GO2 of the surface of the samples ranged from −400 to −300 kJ/mole at 1873 K. It was determined that the specific gas release from alloyed samples of uranium dioxide depends on the content of niobium, cerium, and impurity carbon as well as the porosity and the radial gradient of the departure from stoichiometry. A model is proposed for the physicochemical and diffusion processes accompanying the thermal extraction of gas from alloyed uranium dioxide.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (National Nuclear Research University, MIFI), Moscow, Russia

    V. G. Baranov & A. V. Tenishev

  2. Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia

    A. V. Khlunov

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  1. V. G. Baranov
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  2. A. V. Tenishev
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  3. A. V. Khlunov
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Baranov, V.G., Tenishev, A.V. & Khlunov, A.V. Model representation of the physicochemical and diffusion properties during thermal extraction of gas from alloyed uranium dioxide. At Energy 107, 255–262 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-010-9223-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-010-9223-1

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