NSUF 14-499: Atom probe tomography of intermetallic phases formed in Pu-based diffusion couples

Plutonium-uranium-zirconium (Pu-U-Zr) and plutonium-uranium-molybdenum (Pu-U-Mo) alloys have attracted attention for application in advanced fast reactors. Compatibility of the fuel with cladding is one of the most important factors that has 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 and Pu-U-Mo alloys and Fe-12Cr cladding. Detailed chemical and structural characterization of interdiffusion between fuel and cladding the atomic scale is of profound consequence for evaluation of nuclear fuels and materials behavior. This proposal requests access to focused ion beam (FIB) and localized electrode atom probe (LEAP) instruments for thorough characterization of formed intermetallic phases. The proposed work will lead to enhancement of fundamental understanding of fuel performance and fuel-clad chemical interactions.

Tilleggsinformasjon

Felt	Verdi
Awarded Institution	Idaho National Laboratory
Embargo End Date	2026-02-27
Facility Tech Lead	Mukesh Bachhav
NSUF Call	FY 2014 RTE 3rd Call
PI	Assel Aitkaliyeva
Project Member	Professor Assel Aitkaliyeva, Assistant Professor - University of Florida (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1481-6804)
Project Type	RTE
Publication	Fuel-Cladding Interaction Between U-Pu-Zr Fuel and Fe Assel Aitkaliyeva, James Cole, Brandon Miller, Cynthia Adkins Metallurgical and Materials Transactions E 2 2015-12-07 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40553-015-0059-4
RTE Number	499