NSUF 15-533: Electron tomography of Fe-U-Pu-Zr systems
Plutonium-uranium-zirconium (Pu-U-Zr) alloys have attracted attention for application in advanced fast reactors. Compatibility of the fuel with cladding is one of the most important factors that have to be considered prior to an alloy’s implementation in nuclear reactor environment. Interdiffusion between fuel and cladding is imperative for understanding of the useful lifetime of nuclear reactor components and fuels. The project aims to characterize complex phases formed upon heat treatment of diffusion couples constructed from Pu-U-Zr alloys and Fe cladding. To achieve the project objective, we propose using a combination of complementary techniques including transmission and scanning-transmission electron tomography (ET), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). This will allow a comprehensive analysis of the sample, which is of particular importance in examination of fuel-cladding chemical interaction because it will provide key understanding of the system in 3D at the nano scale, which has not been previously achieved in transuranic-bearing fuels. This proposal requests access to focused ion beam (FIB) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) for thorough characterization of formed intermetallic phases. The proposed work will lead to enhancement of fundamental understanding of fuel performance and fuel-cladding chemical interaction.
Papildoma informacija
| Laukas | Reikšmė |
|---|---|
| Awarded Institution | Idaho National Laboratory |
| Embargo End Date | 2026-02-27 |
| Facility Tech Lead | Mukesh Bachhav |
| NSUF Call | FY 2015 RTE 1st Call |
| PI | Assel Aitkaliyeva |
| Project Member | Professor Assel Aitkaliyeva, Assistant Professor - University of Florida (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1481-6804) |
| Project Member | Dr. Cynthia Adkins, Staff Scientist - Idaho National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3834-6440) |
| Project Type | RTE |
| Publication | TEM examination of phases formed between U–Pu–Zr fuel and Fe Assel Aitkaliyeva, James Cole, Brandon Miller, Cynthia Adkins Journal of Nuclear Materials 467 2015-10-28 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311515302890 |
| Publication | TEM identification of subsurface phases in ternary U–Pu–Zr fuel Assel Aitkaliyeva, James Cole, Cynthia Adkins Journal of Nuclear Materials 473 2016-11-01 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311516300538#ack0010 |
| Publication | TEM Identification of Phases in Metallic Pu-based Fuels Assel Aitkaliyeva, Cynthia Adkins Microscopy & Microanalysis 22 2016-12-01 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/259E9B9A944E1DD94A72A39463F8E811/S1431927616008229a.pdf/tem_identification_of_phases_in_metallic_pubased_fuels.pdf |
| RTE Number | 533 |