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Behaviour of Zirconia Based Fuel Material Under Xe Irradiation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

C. Degueldre
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Material Behaviour, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
P. Heimgartner
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Material Behaviour, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
G. Ledergerber
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Material Behaviour, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
N. Sasajima
Affiliation:
Plutonium Rock-like Fuel Integrated R&D Team, Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki-ken, Japan 319-11.
K. Hojou
Affiliation:
Plutonium Rock-like Fuel Integrated R&D Team, Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki-ken, Japan 319-11.
T. Muromura
Affiliation:
Plutonium Rock-like Fuel Integrated R&D Team, Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki-ken, Japan 319-11.
L. Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
W. Gong
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
R. Ewing
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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Abstract

The behaviour of ZrO2-10%YO1.5-5%ErO1.5-( 10%ThO2) (At %) cubic solid solutions under low and high energy Xe ion irradiation up to a fluence of 1.8·1016 Xe.cm−2 was investigated by TEM. Low energy (60 keV) Xe ions did not yield amorphization. From the observed bubble formation, swelling values of less than one volume per cent were estimated to be 0.19–0.72% during irradiation at room temperature or at high temperature (925 K). Furthermore, no amorphization was obtained by Xe irradiation under extreme conditions such as high energy (1.5 MeV) Xe ion and low temperature (20 K). This confirms the robustness of this material and argues in favour of the selection of zirconia based material as an advanced nuclear fuel for plutonium disposition.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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