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Microstructure and Thermophysical Characterization of Mixed Oxide Fuels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Franz J. Freibert ,
Tarik A. Saleh ,
Fred G. Hampel ,
Daniel S. Schwartz ,
Jeremy N. Mitchell ,
Charles C. Davis ,
Angelique D. Neuman ,
Stephen P. Willson  and
John T. Dunwoody
Franz J. Freibert
Affiliation:
freibert@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Tarik A. Saleh
Affiliation:
tsaleh@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Fred G. Hampel
Affiliation:
fhampel@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Daniel S. Schwartz
Affiliation:
dschwartz@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Jeremy N. Mitchell
Affiliation:
jeremy@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Charles C. Davis
Affiliation:
ccdavis@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Angelique D. Neuman
Affiliation:
neuman@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Stephen P. Willson
Affiliation:
willson@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
John T. Dunwoody
Affiliation:
dunwoody@lanl.gov, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
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Abstract

Pre-irradiated thermodynamic and microstructural properties of nuclear fuels form the necessary set of data against which to gauge fuel performance and irradiation damage evolution. This paper summarizes recent efforts in mixed-oxide and minor actinide-bearing mixed-oxide ceramic fuels fabrication and characterization at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Ceramic fuels (U1-x-y-zPuxAmyNpz)O2 fabricated in the compositional ranges of 0.19≤x≤0.3 Pu, 0≤y≤0.05 Am, and 0≤z≤0.03 Np exhibited a uniform crystalline face-centered cubic phase with an average grain size of 14μm; however, electron microprobe analysis revealed segregation of NpO2 in minor actinide-bearing fuels. Immersion density and porosity analysis demonstrated an average density of 92.4% theoretical for mixed-oxide fuels and an average density of 89.5% theoretical density for minor actinide-bearing mixed-oxide fuels. Examined fuels exhibited mean thermal expansion value of 12.56×10−6/°C-1 for temperature range (100°C<T<1500°C) and ambient temperature Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of 169 GPa and of 0.327, respectively. Internal dissipation as determined from mechanical resonances of these ceramic fuels has shown promise as a tool to gauge microstructural integrity and to interrogate fundamental properties.

Keywords

ceramicnuclear materialsmicrostructure
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1215: Symposium V – Materials Research Needs to Advance Nuclear Energy , 2009 , 1215-V10-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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