NSUF 24-5097: Characterization of U8Pu10Zr fluff sample

This proposal aims to investigate the axial swelling behavior of metallic fuel pins for sodium fast reactor (SFR) applications by performing a comprehensive analysis on the fluff structure of a U8Pu10Zr (8% wt. Pu 10% wt. Zr) EBR-II fuel pin. “Fluff” refers to a highly porous structure that forms at the top of metallic fuel pins as they undergo irradiation. It was widely observed in the fuel pins from EBR-II, ranging from a few millimeters to several centimeters in length. This project will require access to NSUF facilities at the Material Fuel Complex (MFC) in the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) and the Irradiated Material Characterization Laboratory (IMCL). The experimental plan is to use first use the G3 Plasma Focus Ion Beam (PFIB) in IMCL to create Energy Dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) maps of sample the sample surface and cut and lift out lamellas for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Next Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA) will be used to perform line scans of the bulk fuel sample to quantify the longitudinal and radial distribution of fuel elements in the fluff structure. The final task will be to perform the first ever TEM analysis on the fluff structure and consist of high magnification imaging, EDS, and Selected area Electron Diffraction (SAED) on the TEM lamellas.

추가 정보

필드	값
Award Announced Date	2024-08-15T09:41:50.343
Awarded Institution	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Facility Tech Lead	Alina Montrose
Irradiation Facility
PI	Jake Fay
PI Email	[email protected]
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	None