NSUF 18-1370: TEM analysis of Irradiated MOX fuel

MOX fuels offer the potential to power next generation nuclear reactors, while simultaneously eliminating long half-life Pu from long term storage. In order for MOX fuel to remain viable, additional research is necessary to study fuel evolution over its operating lifetime. The proposed project aims to study the effects of burnup and thermal restructuring on the microstructural and chemical behavior of MOX fuels. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the project will examine fuels with burnups of 3.4%, 5.8%, and 6.7% fissions per initial metal atom (FIMA) to examine the radial evolution of the fuel and compare the behaviors at ascending burnup conditions. Elemental redistribution, fission product analysis, and dislocation behaviors are of particular interest to this project, as they have direct implications on the thermal and mechanical properties associated with irradiated fuels. Upon completion, this project will provide a snapshot into the operating lifetime of MOX fuels and will be implemented into future design considerations for safe and efficient MOX fuel deployment.

Información Adicional

Campo	Valor
Awarded Institution	University of Florida
Embargo End Date	2020-02-17
Facility Tech Lead	Alina Montrose
NSUF Call	FY 2018 RTE 2nd Call
PI	Riley Parrish
Project Member	Professor Assel Aitkaliyeva, Assistant Professor - University of Florida (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1481-6804)
Project Member	Mr. Riley Parrish, Postdoctoral appointee - Sandia National Laboratories (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3064-3862)
Project Notes	Awarded on 05/17/2018
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	1370