The Effects of Plutonium Content and Self-Irradiation on Thermal Conductivity of Mixed Oxide Fuel

Ikusawa, Yoshihisa; Morimoto, Kyoichi; Kato, Masato; Saito, Kosuke; Uno, Masayoshi

doi:10.1080/00295450.2018.1494999

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Additionally, the resulting helium atoms accumulate in the structure as interstitials, inside vacancy clusters or even initial pores. Such a process provokes defect accumulation in the fuel crystal lattice, resulting in a progressive alteration of its physico-chemical properties and microstructure 4,5 . Thus, it becomes necessary to consider self-irradiation consequences during the storage of the fuel between manufacturing and its subsequent use in reactor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observable consequences of self-irradiation damage in a MIMAS-type MOX nuclear fuel as analyzed by x-ray diffraction, electron microprobe analysis, and Raman imaging. A possible methodological approach

Kahraman

Lebreton

Martin

et al. 2022

Journal of Applied Physics

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One of the challenges of multi-recycled Pu, to be used to produce MOx fuel, lies in its isotopic composition. Further recycling enriches the isotopy toward 238Pu, 240Pu, and 241Pu, which have much higher specific activities than the 239Pu isotope, meaning that those fuels are subjected to strong self-irradiation, provoking defect accumulation in the (U,Pu)O2 crystal lattice. A combination of three different techniques, XRD, EPMA, and RS (x-ray diffraction, electron probe micro-analysis, and Raman spectroscopy, respectively) was implemented to characterize a particular self-irradiated, 238Pu, 240Pu, and 241Pu-enriched MIMAS (MIcronized-MASter blend)-type MOx fuel sample, which had been stored for 15 years at room temperature under an inert atmosphere, to maximize irradiation effects. For comparison purposes, a specimen from the same batch was submitted to a thermal treatment and was completely analyzed in the two months following this treatment. Two of these methods (EPMA and RS) were used in their imaging mode. In particular, four spectral characteristics could be extracted from the Raman spectra. However, because of the inherent heterogeneity of this particular MOx material, the results had to be analyzed in part in a rather statistical way. This combination of techniques first allowed for determining the local Pu content. Then, the effects of self-irradiation were analyzed in terms of lattice parameter swelling, defect injection, and resonant scattering. The merits and uncertainties associated with these methods are discussed in terms of macro- and/or micro-strains. Finally, the Raman spectroscopy of (U,Pu)O2, in the 0%–40% range, was revisited in part, in an indirect way, however.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%