NSUF 24-4846: Irradiation performance of defective Uranium Mononitride: The role of impurities in the defect accumulation using in-situ TEM ion irradiation

UN is under consideration as an advanced nuclear fuel alternative to UO2. Defective UN, yielding different impurities (e.g. O, C, N) incorporated in the microstructure, can influence the fuel’s performance in terms of creep, swelling, fission gas release, thermal stability, and cladding compatibility. We aim to investigate the in-situ growth and evolution of defects (e.g., dislocation loops, bubbles) in defective UN when exposed to Kr ion irradiation at reactor relevant temperatures. These real-time observation tests address a critical aspect of nuclear safety and performance by examining how impurities can impact microstructural changes and swelling behavior. Impurity content is an important parameter that can be targeted to enable optimal fuel cycle performance by evaluating the mechanistic understanding of fission gas swelling mechanisms and limit interactions with cladding materials. Information regarding the growth, accumulation, and migration of defects as a function of dose and impurity content will be used to validate a UN swelling model developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, using cluster dynamics code Centipede, which predicts the radiation-induced dislocation growth and mobility in UN.

추가 정보

필드	값
Award Announced Date	2024-02-02T12:15:58.963
Awarded Institution	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Facility Tech Lead	Wei-Ying Chen
Irradiation Facility	Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscopy (IVEM)-Tandem Facility
PI	Maria Kosmidou
PI Email	[email protected]
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	None