This paper uses the results of material science studies whose purpose was to investigate contact compatibility of uranium-zirconium carbonitride-based fuel pellets with the chosen refractory structural materials under the conditions of high-temperature pre-irradiation tests. Monocrystalline W-3Ta spacers with [110], [123], [112] orientations and polycrystalline W and Mo spacers served as contact pairs for the fuel pellets. The fuel and structural materials underwent annealing at various temperatures significantly exceeding 1200 °C. Duration of experiments for contact pairs with monocrystalline spacers was 80 and 300 hours, for polycrys-talline materials the exposure was 50, 100 and 150 hours. High stability of microstructure and chemistry of the U,Zr(C,N)-based composition was observed throughout the entire temperature-time diapason of the tests. No formation of intermediate phases capable of impairing air-tightness and operability of the cladding materials have been found in the interface zone. As a result of the studies performed, it has been found that orientation of W-3Ta monocrystals has no impact on the diffusion rate. Depth of uranium atoms penetration into monocrystalline samples didn’t exceed 15μm in the entire temperature-time diapason. For polycrystalline materials this value was 40 and 350 for W and Mo respectively.
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