TY - JOUR
T1 - Phase characteristics of a number of U-Pu-Am-Np-Zr metallic alloys for use as fast reactor fuels
AU - Burkes, Douglas E.
AU - Kennedy, J. Rory
AU - Hartmann, Thomas
AU - Adkins, Cynthia
AU - Keiser, Dennis D.
N1 - Funding Information:
Work supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) , under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517. The authors are especially grateful to the Analytical Laboratory (AL) and Fuel Manufacturing Facility (FMF) staff. The authors wish to specifically acknowledge Mr. Andrew Maddison, Dr. Steven Frank, Mr. Timothy Hyde, Mr. Jim Stuart, Dr. Leah Squires, Mr. Jim Morrison, Mr. Scott Wilde, Mr. Benjamin Krause, and Dr. Marsha Lambregts, for their assistance with fabrication, sample preparation, and material transfers related to these experiments. Finally, the authors would like to acknowledge the Health and Physics staff for their continued support of this work in the AL and FMF facilities.
PY - 2010/1/1
Y1 - 2010/1/1
N2 - Metallic fuel alloys consisting of uranium, plutonium, and zirconium with minor additions of americium and neptunium are under evaluation for potential use to transmute long-lived transuranic actinide isotopes in fast reactors. A series of test designs for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) have been irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), designated as the AFC-1 and AFC-2 designs. Metal fuel compositions in these designs have included varying amounts of U, Pu, Zr, and minor actinides (Am, Np). Investigations into the phase behavior and relationships based on the alloy constituents have been conducted using X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis. Results of these investigations, along with proposed relationships between observed behavior and alloy composition, are provided. In general, observed behaviors can be predicted by a ternary U-Pu-Zr phase diagram, with transition temperatures being most dependent on U content. Furthermore, the enthalpy associated with transitions is strongly dependent on the as-cast microstructural characteristics.
AB - Metallic fuel alloys consisting of uranium, plutonium, and zirconium with minor additions of americium and neptunium are under evaluation for potential use to transmute long-lived transuranic actinide isotopes in fast reactors. A series of test designs for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) have been irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), designated as the AFC-1 and AFC-2 designs. Metal fuel compositions in these designs have included varying amounts of U, Pu, Zr, and minor actinides (Am, Np). Investigations into the phase behavior and relationships based on the alloy constituents have been conducted using X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis. Results of these investigations, along with proposed relationships between observed behavior and alloy composition, are provided. In general, observed behaviors can be predicted by a ternary U-Pu-Zr phase diagram, with transition temperatures being most dependent on U content. Furthermore, the enthalpy associated with transitions is strongly dependent on the as-cast microstructural characteristics.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/73149101621
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.10.053
DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.10.053
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:73149101621
SN - 0022-3115
VL - 396
SP - 49
EP - 56
JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials
JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials
IS - 1
ER -