NSUF 18-1452: High temperature in-situ small-scale mechanical testing of fast reactor mixed oxide (MOX) pins.
The main objective of this project is the determination of hardness, elastic constants and creep properties of annular high burnup (> 10% FIMA) sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR) mixed oxide (MOX) using high temperature, in-situ small-scale mechanical testing, specifically nanoindentation. Moreover, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) will be employed for the sample microstructural characterization in order to determine grain morphology, orientation and composition of eventual fission product precipitates at the measurement locations. The study will be the first application of high temperature small-scale mechanical tests on irradiated SFR MOX fuel, providing unique data. Since nanoindentation samples a small volume of material it allows for evaluating the change in mechanical properties over the radius of the pellet. Thus, this technique would allow the first measurements on the Fuel-Cladding Chemical Interaction (FCCI) layer at in the operating temperature range. The employment of state-of-the-art in-situ mechanical testing techniques would allow tackling of fuel microstructural heterogeneities, thus capturing irradiation-induced property changes at a local level. Data regarding the irradiated fuel mechanical properties and their correlation to the local microstructure are fundamental input to mesoscale modeling and are needed to quantify physical property changes that have impact on the overall fuel performance and safety.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abstract | The main objective of this project is the determination of hardness, elastic constants and creep properties of annular high burnup (> 10% FIMA) sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR) mixed oxide (MOX) using high temperature, in-situ small-scale mechanical testing, specifically nanoindentation. Moreover, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) will be employed for the sample microstructural characterization in order to determine grain morphology, orientation and composition of eventual fission product precipitates at the measurement locations. The study will be the first application of high temperature small-scale mechanical tests on irradiated SFR MOX fuel, providing unique data. Since nanoindentation samples a small volume of material it allows for evaluating the change in mechanical properties over the radius of the pellet. Thus, this technique would allow the first measurements on the Fuel-Cladding Chemical Interaction (FCCI) layer at in the operating temperature range. The employment of state-of-the-art in-situ mechanical testing techniques would allow tackling of fuel microstructural heterogeneities, thus capturing irradiation-induced property changes at a local level. Data regarding the irradiated fuel mechanical properties and their correlation to the local microstructure are fundamental input to mesoscale modeling and are needed to quantify physical property changes that have impact on the overall fuel performance and safety. |
| Award Announced Date | 2018-05-17T11:10:15.457 |
| Awarded Institution | None |
| Facility | None |
| Facility Tech Lead | Alina Zackrone |
| Irradiation Facility | None |
| PI | David Frazer |
| PI Email | [email protected] |
| Project Type | RTE |
| RTE Number | 1452 |