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A Rate-Theory–Phase-Field Model of Irradiation-Induced Recrystallization in UMo Nuclear Fuels

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Abstract

In this work, we developed a recrystallization model to study the effect of microstructures and radiation conditions on recrystallization kinetics in UMo fuels. The model integrates the rate theory of intragranular gas bubble and interstitial loop evolutions and a phase-field model of recrystallization zone evolution. A first passage method is employed to describe one-dimensional diffusion of interstitials with a diffusivity value several orders of magnitude larger than that of fission gas xenons. With the model, the effect of grain sizes on recrystallization kinetics is simulated. The results show that (1) recrystallization in large grains starts earlier than that in small grains, (2) the recrystallization kinetics (recrystallization volume fraction) decrease as the grain size increases, (3) the predicted recrystallization kinetics are consistent with the experimental results, and (4) the recrystallization kinetics can be described by the modified Avrami equation, but the parameters of the Avrami equation strongly depend on the grain size.

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Acknowledgements

The work described in this article was performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Material Management and Minimization Reactor Conversion Program. Dr. Hu would like to thank Nicholas Lombardo at PNNL for the comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P. O. Box 999, Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    Shenyang Hu, Vineet Joshi & Curt A. Lavender

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  1. Shenyang Hu
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  2. Vineet Joshi
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  3. Curt A. Lavender
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Correspondence to Shenyang Hu.

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Hu, S., Joshi, V. & Lavender, C.A. A Rate-Theory–Phase-Field Model of Irradiation-Induced Recrystallization in UMo Nuclear Fuels. JOM 69, 2554–2562 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-017-2611-4

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