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Observed Changes in As-Fabricated U-10Mo Monolithic Fuel Microstructures After Irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor

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Abstract

A low-enriched uranium U-10Mo monolithic nuclear fuel is being developed by the Material Management and Minimization Program, earlier known as the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors Program, for utilization in research and test reactors around the world that currently use high-enriched uranium fuels. As part of this program, reactor experiments are being performed in the Advanced Test Reactor. It must be demonstrated that this fuel type exhibits mechanical integrity, geometric stability, and predictable behavior to high powers and high fission densities in order for it to be a viable fuel for qualification. This paper provides an overview of the microstructures observed at different regions of interest in fuel plates before and after irradiation for fuel samples that have been tested. These fuel plates were fabricated using laboratory-scale fabrication methods. Observations regarding how microstructural changes during irradiation may impact fuel performance are discussed.

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Acknowledgement

This submitted manuscript was authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government under DOE Contract No. DE-AC07-05ID14517. Accordingly, the U.S. Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. Funding was provided by National Nuclear Security Administration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Idaho National Laboratory, P. O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID, 83403-6188, USA

    Dennis Keiser Jr., Jan-Fong Jue, Brandon Miller, Jian Gan, Adam Robinson & James Madden

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  1. Dennis Keiser Jr.
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  2. Jan-Fong Jue
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  3. Brandon Miller
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  4. Jian Gan
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Correspondence to Dennis Keiser Jr..

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Keiser, D., Jue, JF., Miller, B. et al. Observed Changes in As-Fabricated U-10Mo Monolithic Fuel Microstructures After Irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor. JOM 69, 2538–2545 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-017-2564-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-017-2564-7

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