NSUF 18-1428: Microstructural characterization of transmutation nitride fuels for fast reactors
Transmutation nitride fuels by incorporating 3 minor actinides (Am, Np, and Cm) into a fuel matrix, such as (U0.5,Pu0.25,Am0.15,Np0.10)N have been developed, irradiated and post-irradiation examined under DOE Advanced Fuels Campaign program to demonstrate the closure of the fuel cycle by destroying the transuranic elements separated from spent nuclear fuels. The fine microstructure of transmutation nitride fuels at SEM and TEM levels has yet to be characterized. In this work, we propose to mainly characterize irradiation induced defects, including dislocation loops and fission gas bubbles, fission products and phase stability in a (U0.5,Pu0.25,Am0.15,Np0.10)N fuel irradiated at fast spectrum Phénix reactor using state-of-art instruments including Focused Ion Beam (FIB) system equipped with Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), and Titan Themis 200 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) equipped with Super-X energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) system. The impurities introduced during processing will be identified. In addition, helium is generated during irradiation and post-irradiation storage of the Am-bearing fuels and the He bubbles will also be characterized using TEM.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Transmutation nitride fuels by incorporating 3 minor actinides (Am, Np, and Cm) into a fuel matrix, such as (U0.5,Pu0.25,Am0.15,Np0.10)N have been developed, irradiated and post-irradiation examined under DOE Advanced Fuels Campaign program to demonstrate the closure of the fuel cycle by destroying the transuranic elements separated from spent nuclear fuels. The fine microstructure of transmutation nitride fuels at SEM and TEM levels has yet to be characterized. In this work, we propose to mainly characterize irradiation induced defects, including dislocation loops and fission gas bubbles, fission products and phase stability in a (U0.5,Pu0.25,Am0.15,Np0.10)N fuel irradiated at fast spectrum Phénix reactor using state-of-art instruments including Focused Ion Beam (FIB) system equipped with Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), and Titan Themis 200 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) equipped with Super-X energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) system. The impurities introduced during processing will be identified. In addition, helium is generated during irradiation and post-irradiation storage of the Am-bearing fuels and the He bubbles will also be characterized using TEM. |
| Award Announced Date | 2018-05-17T11:05:14.44 |
| Awarded Institution | None |
| Facility | None |
| Facility Tech Lead | Alina Zackrone |
| Irradiation Facility | None |
| PI | Lingfeng He |
| PI Email | [email protected] |
| Project Type | RTE |
| RTE Number | 1428 |