Interaction of a fuel cladding with uranium carbonitride in electrogenerating channel

Abstract

Samples of the fuel cladding of electrogenerating channel no. 30, which was included in the setup Ya-82 during nuclear power tests, are studied. The structure of the samples and the distribution of U, Mo, Nb, Cs, C, and N over the cladding thickness are investigated. The X-ray spectrometry microanalysis of the samples is performed at the MAR-3 modernized microanalyzer. A layered structure of the cladding is revealed using the method of scanning electron microscopy. Clusters of pores and other defects are observed at the boundaries of the layers. It is found that the uranium concentration profiles in different passages (at different points of the sample) are distinguished qualitatively. Three types of profiles are observed: firstly, profiles with no visible concentration of uranium above the background level; secondly, monotonically decaying profiles corresponding to the diffusion-induced penetration of uranium; and, thirdly, nonmonotonic concentration profiles. The depth of penetration of uranium into the cladding is ∼10⁵ nm. The peaks of uranium concentration are near the boundaries of the observed layers. It is found that cesium penetrates the tungsten coating and molybdenum cladding. Domains with the increased carbon content are revealed. A stepwise growth in the nitrogen concentration is observed in the region occupied by the tungsten coating.