NSUF 25-5423: Radial Uranium Isotopic Analysis of Irradiated U-19Pu-10Zr Fuel Using FIB-ToF-SIMS
The objective of this work is to characterize uranium isotopics as a function of radial position using focused ion beam time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (FIB-ToF-SIMS) to provide validation data for neutronics metallic fuel performance codes. A necessary step in qualifying metallic fuels is the development and validation of fuel performance models. Constituent redistribution caused by thermal and chemical gradients complicates model development, because the changes chemical, crystallographic, and material properties must all be accounted for in a complete model. No work has yet been done on the characterization of isotopic distributions in irradiated U-Pu-Zr, leaving a gap in the characterization of the fuel system. Given the necessary coupling of neutronics models to thermomechanical models to predict accurate power and temperature profiles, it is important that experimental validation data is available for neutronics models to account for the effects of constituent redistribution. This project will provide key data on post-irradiation uranium isotopics that will allow for the validation of these models, and further our understanding of the microstructural responses to constituent redistribution in metallic fuels.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Awarded Institution | University of Florida |
| DOI | 10.46936/NSUF/60015383 |
| Embargo End Date | 2027-09-03 |
| Facility Tech Lead | Noé Morales |
| NSUF Call | FY 2025 RTE 2nd Call |
| PI | Mitchell Mika |
| PIE Facilities | Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory |
| Project Member | Professor Assel Aitkaliyeva, Assistant Professor - University of Florida (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1481-6804) |
| Project Member | Dr. Tiankai Yao, Staff Scientist and Nuclear Facility Engineer - Idaho National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8330-7638) |
| Project Member | Daniel Murray, instrument scientist - Idaho National Laboratory |
| Project Member | Mr. Mitchell Mika, Graduate Student - University of Florida (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2228-8765) |
| Project Type | RTE |