2023 journal article
Microstructure and microchemistry changes at U-10Mo fuel/AA6061 cladding interfaces with varying hot isostatic pressing conditions
JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS, 585.
author keywords: U-10Mo; AA6061; Fuel manufacturing; Fuel cladding chemical interaction; Hot isostatic pressing
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11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
(Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 28, 2023
Monolithic uranium - 10 wt.% molybdenum (U-10Mo) is a promising high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel system for nuclear reactors used in research, medical isotope production, and remote power applications. During manufacturing, an aluminum alloy (AA6061) cladding is bonded to the U-10Mo fuel plate via hot isostatic pressing, during which diffusion and fuel/cladding chemical interaction occurs at plate edges. The microstructure and microchemistry changes that occur at fuel/cladding interfaces are important to understand as a function of process parameters to develop a reliable fuel fabrication process and to meet the desired specifications. Here, microstructural and microchemical changes are studied using complementary electron microscopy and atom probe tomography for two manufactured fuel plates with varied hot isostatic pressing (HIP) parameters. Results highlight that modifying thermomechanical processing parameters significantly changes the interaction layer thickness between U-10Mo and AA6061 by an order of magnitude. In addition, the distribution and concentration of elements (i.e., Al, Si, Mg) from cladding to fuel are investigated.