Transmission Electron Microscopy based Characterization of a U-20Pu-10Zr Fuel Irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II

Tiankai Yao; Xiang Liu; Yachun Wang; Fei Teng; Daniel J. Murray; Mitchell Meyer; Michael T. Benson; Luca Capriotti

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153846

Transmission Electron Microscopy based Characterization of a U-20Pu-10Zr Fuel Irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II

Tiankai Yao
, Xiang Liu
, Yachun Wang
, Fei Teng
, Daniel J. Murray
, Mitchell Meyer
, Michael T. Benson
, Luca Capriotti

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

U-Pu-Zr metallic fuels are important fuel candidates for future advanced and/or test reactors. To better understand the fuel performance and guide future fuel design, a U-20Pu-10Zr (in weight) metallic fuel irradiated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-Ⅱ was revisited using advanced electron microscopies. This fuel cross section was irradiated to a burnup of 6.15 % at a cladding temperature of ∼500°C. Several transmission electron microscopy samples were extracted from different but representative radial locations of the fuel cross section using focused ion beam technique. Phase identification and chemical analysis with sub-micron spatial resolution were carried out using a scanning transmission electron microscopy. Multiple phenomena that are critical to fuel performance, such as Zr redistribution, were revealed in an unpreceded highly detailed manner. An improved understanding of fuel reconstruction in U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel under reactor irradiation is provided.

Original language	English
Article number	153846
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume	568
Early online date	Jun 8 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153846
State	Published - Sep 2022

Keywords

Advanced characterization
Fission gas bubble
Irradiation
U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel
Zr redistribution

INL Publication Number

INL/JOU-22-66462
122199

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153846

Cite this

@article{9a1bdfbeab78429083ee6785475e2250,

title = "Transmission Electron Microscopy based Characterization of a U-20Pu-10Zr Fuel Irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II",

abstract = "U-Pu-Zr metallic fuels are important fuel candidates for future advanced and/or test reactors. To better understand the fuel performance and guide future fuel design, a U-20Pu-10Zr (in weight) metallic fuel irradiated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-Ⅱ was revisited using advanced electron microscopies. This fuel cross section was irradiated to a burnup of 6.15 \% at a cladding temperature of ∼500°C. Several transmission electron microscopy samples were extracted from different but representative radial locations of the fuel cross section using focused ion beam technique. Phase identification and chemical analysis with sub-micron spatial resolution were carried out using a scanning transmission electron microscopy. Multiple phenomena that are critical to fuel performance, such as Zr redistribution, were revealed in an unpreceded highly detailed manner. An improved understanding of fuel reconstruction in U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel under reactor irradiation is provided.",

keywords = "Advanced characterization, Fission gas bubble, Irradiation, U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel, Zr redistribution",

author = "Tiankai Yao and Xiang Liu and Yachun Wang and Fei Teng and Murray, \{Daniel J.\} and Mitchell Meyer and Benson, \{Michael T.\} and Luca Capriotti",

note = "Funding Information: Authors acknowledge the financial support of U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Fuels Campaign of the Fuel Cycle R\&D program in the Office of Nuclear Energy for sample preparation and irradiation. The microstructure characterization and phase identification are supported through a combination with INL fuel evolution internal funding and Laboratory Directed Research and Development project (22A1059-094FP) under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy, Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-051D14517. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",

year = "2022",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153846",

language = "English",

volume = "568",

journal = "Journal of Nuclear Materials",

issn = "0022-3115",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Transmission Electron Microscopy based Characterization of a U-20Pu-10Zr Fuel Irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II

AU - Yao, Tiankai

AU - Liu, Xiang

AU - Wang, Yachun

AU - Teng, Fei

AU - Murray, Daniel J.

AU - Meyer, Mitchell

AU - Benson, Michael T.

AU - Capriotti, Luca

N1 - Funding Information: Authors acknowledge the financial support of U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Fuels Campaign of the Fuel Cycle R&D program in the Office of Nuclear Energy for sample preparation and irradiation. The microstructure characterization and phase identification are supported through a combination with INL fuel evolution internal funding and Laboratory Directed Research and Development project (22A1059-094FP) under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy, Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-051D14517. Publisher Copyright: © 2022

PY - 2022/9

Y1 - 2022/9

N2 - U-Pu-Zr metallic fuels are important fuel candidates for future advanced and/or test reactors. To better understand the fuel performance and guide future fuel design, a U-20Pu-10Zr (in weight) metallic fuel irradiated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-Ⅱ was revisited using advanced electron microscopies. This fuel cross section was irradiated to a burnup of 6.15 % at a cladding temperature of ∼500°C. Several transmission electron microscopy samples were extracted from different but representative radial locations of the fuel cross section using focused ion beam technique. Phase identification and chemical analysis with sub-micron spatial resolution were carried out using a scanning transmission electron microscopy. Multiple phenomena that are critical to fuel performance, such as Zr redistribution, were revealed in an unpreceded highly detailed manner. An improved understanding of fuel reconstruction in U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel under reactor irradiation is provided.

AB - U-Pu-Zr metallic fuels are important fuel candidates for future advanced and/or test reactors. To better understand the fuel performance and guide future fuel design, a U-20Pu-10Zr (in weight) metallic fuel irradiated in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-Ⅱ was revisited using advanced electron microscopies. This fuel cross section was irradiated to a burnup of 6.15 % at a cladding temperature of ∼500°C. Several transmission electron microscopy samples were extracted from different but representative radial locations of the fuel cross section using focused ion beam technique. Phase identification and chemical analysis with sub-micron spatial resolution were carried out using a scanning transmission electron microscopy. Multiple phenomena that are critical to fuel performance, such as Zr redistribution, were revealed in an unpreceded highly detailed manner. An improved understanding of fuel reconstruction in U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel under reactor irradiation is provided.

KW - Advanced characterization

KW - Fission gas bubble

KW - Irradiation

KW - U-Pu-Zr metallic fuel

KW - Zr redistribution

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85132876052

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M3 - Article

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VL - 568

JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials

JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials

M1 - 153846

ER -

Transmission Electron Microscopy based Characterization of a U-20Pu-10Zr Fuel Irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II

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