Neutron Diffraction Measurement of Residual Stresses, Dislocation Density and Texture in Zr-bonded U-10Mo ''Mini'' Fuel Foils and Plates

[摘要] Aluminum clad monolithic uranium 10 weight percent molybdenum (U-10Mo) fuel plates are being considered for conversion of several research and test nuclear reactors from high-enriched to low-enriched uranium fuel due to the inherently high density of fissile material. Comprehensive neutron diffraction measurements of the evolution of the textures, residual phase stresses, and dislocation densities in the individual phases of the mini-foils throughout several processing steps and following hot-isostatic pressing to the Al cladding, have been completed. Recovery and recrystallization of the bare U-10Mo fuel foil, as indicated by the dislocation density and texture, are observed depending on the state of the material prior to annealing and the duration and temperature of the annealing process. In general, the HIP procedure significantly reduces the dislocation density, but the final state of the clad plate, both texture and dislocation density, depends strongly on the final processing step of the fuel foil. In contrast, the residual stresses in the clad fuel plate do not depend strongly on the final processing step of the bare foil prior to HIP bonding. Rather, the residual stresses are dominated by the thermal expansion mismatch of the constituent materials of the fuel plate.

[发布日期] 2014-08-07

[学科分类] 核能源与工程

[关键词] SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM;RESIDUAL STRESSES;DISLOCATIONS;NEUTRON DIFFRACTION;DENSITY;FUEL PLATES;FOILS;HOT PRESSING;TEXTURE;ANNEALING;ALUMINIUM;CLADDING;THERMAL EXPANSION;TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE;TIME DEPENDENCE;RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS;RECRYSTALLIZATION;URANIUM BASE ALLOYS;MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS;BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS;BONDING;ZIRCONIUM