Fuels and Materials [nuclear] Development Pgm [Qtrly Rpt Sep 30, 1968]

337 Pages·1969·35.863 MB·English

This report was prepared as an account of Government sponsored work. Neither the United
States, nor the Commission. nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission:
A. Makes anywarranty orrepresentation.expressed or implied. with respect to the accu-
racy, completeness. or usefulness of the information contained in this report, or that the use
of any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report may not Infringe
privately owned rights; or
B. Assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of. or for damages resulting from the
use of any information, apparatus, method, or proce88 disclosed in this report. ORNL-4350
As used in the above. “person acting on behalf of the Commission’’ includes any em-
ployee or contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contractor, to the extent that
such employee or contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contractor prepares,
disseminates, or provides access to, any information pursuant to his employment or contract
with the Commission, or hie employment with such contractor.
.
Contract No. W-7405-eng-26
METALS AND CERAMICS DIVISION
mTELS AND MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM QUARTERLY PROGRESS
REPORT FOR PERIOD ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1968
Compiled by
P. Patriarca W. 0. Harms
Edited by
D. J. Rucker
FEBRUARY 1969
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL ILBORATORY
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
,”
operated by
UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION
for the
U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
DISCLAIMER

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an
agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States
Government nor any agency Thereof, nor any of their employees,
makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal
liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or
usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process
disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately
owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product,
process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or
otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,
recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any
agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein
do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States
Government or any agency thereof.
DISCLAIMER

Portions of this document may be illegible in
electronic image products. Images are produced
from the best available original document.
iii
FOREWORD
This quarterly progress report describes research and development
on nuclear fuels and materials performed at the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. With several excep-
tions, as noted below in the listing of specific programs, the work is
sponsored by the Fuels and Materials Branch of the Division of Reactor
Development and Technology. Classified aspects of the Nitride Fuels
Development activity and work on fuels and materials for isotope heat
sources are covered in separate ORNL progress reports.
The report is presented in five parts according to AEC Activity
titles provided by the Fuels and Materials Branch, RDT.
Person Principal
Program Title ORNL Division ( s in Charge Investigator(s )
I. Fuels and Claddings
Sol-Gel Fast Reactor Metals and Ceramics P. Patriarca A. L. Lotts
Fuels Chemical Technology J. L. Scott
Reactor R. E. Brooksbank
. .I Nitride Fuels Metals and Ceramics W. 0. Harms J. L. Scott
Development Reactor H. C. McCurdy
Fission-Gas Release Reactor Chemistry 0. Sisman R. M. Carroll
and Physical Proper- J. G. Morgan
ties of Fuel Mate-
rials During Irradiation
Zirconium Metallura Metals and Ceramics C. J. McHargue P. L. Rittenhouse
11. Coolants
~
Alkali-Metal Metals and Ceramics W. 0. Harms J. H. DeVan
Corrosion Studies Reactor A. P. Litman
R. E. MacPherson
iv
Person Principal
Program Title ORNL Division( s) in Charge Investigator( s)
111. Radiation Damage to Structural Materials
Behavior of Ref'rac- Reactor Chemistry G. M. Watson G. W. Keilholtz
tory Materials
Under Irradiation
Fast-Neutron Irradia- Reactor Chemistry G. M. Watson G. W. Keilholtz
tion Effects on
Electrical
Insulators*
Mechanical Proper- Metals and Ceramics C. J. McHargue J. R. Weir
ties Research and
LMFBR Cladding and
Structural Mate-
rials Development**
Radiation Effects Solid State D. S. Billington M. S. Wechsler
in Alloys and Struc-
tural Materials
IV. Techniques of Fabrication and Testing
'
Tungsten Metallurgy Metals and Ceramics W. 0. Harms H. Inouye
.I'
W. R. Martin
G. M. Slaughter
J. 0. Stiegler
J. R. Weir
Nondestructive Metals and Ceramics W. 0. Harms R. W. McClung
Test Development
Joining Research Metals and Ceramics G. M. Adamson G. M. Slaughter
on Nuclear Materials
/
Fuel Element Fabri- Metals and Ceramics G. M. Adamson J. V. Cathcart
cation Development W. R. Martin
R. W. McClung
*
Sponsored by Reactor Power Systems Branch, Division of Space
Nuclear Systems.
**
Partially sponsored by Liquid Metals Branch, Division of Reactor
Development and Technology.
Person Principal
Program Title OWL Division( s) in Charge Investigator( s)
V. Engineering Properties of Reactor Materials
Physical and Mechan- Metals and Ceramics W. 0. Harms H. Inouye
ical Metallurgy of R. W. McClung
Refractory AUOJGS D. L. McElroy
G. M. Slaughter
J. R. Weir
<-
a-
vii
CONTENTS
Page
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Smary xiii
Part I. Fuels and Claddings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. Sol-Gel Fast Reactor Fuels 3
. . . . . . . . . .
Preparation of Sol-Gel (U,F’u)02 Fuels 3
. . . . . . . . . .
Development of Fabrication Processes 4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sphere -Pac 4
. . . . . . . . . . .
Pelletizing of Sol-Gel (U,Fu)O2 5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Capsule Fabrication 8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sodium Filling System 9
. . . . . . . . . . .
Characterization of (TJ,Fu)02 Fuels 13
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Analytical Chemistry 13
. . . . . . .
Manufacture of Standard Samples of U02 14
Thermal Conducti.vi.ty. of. S.ol.-.Ge.l F.as.t . . . . . . . . .
Reactor Fuels 18
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deformation of U02 20
. . . . .
Irradiation Testing of Sol-Gel (U,Pu)O2 Fuels 21
. . . .
Uninstrumented Thermal Flux Irradiation Tests 22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ORR Instrumented Tests 25
Transient Testing of Sol-Gel-Derived
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(U,Pu)O2 Fuels 29
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fast Flux Irradiation Tests 31
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Irradiation Test Calculations 32
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Nitride Fuels Development 33
Synthesis, Fabricat.i.on., .an.d .C.ha.ra.c.te.ri.z.at.io.n. . . . .
of Nitride Fuels 34
. . . . . . . . . . .
Synthesis and Fabrication of UN 34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Characterization of UN 35
Synthesis, Fabricatio.n,. a.nd. C.ha.ra.ct.er.iz.a.ti.on. . . . .
of Mixed Nitrides 37
viii
Studies on Synthesis. Fabrication. .an.d .Th.er.mo.dy.na.mi.c . . . .
Properties of Carbonitride Fuels 39
. . . . . .
Manufacture of UC. UN. and U(C. N) from UO2 39
Studies on Compatibility of Mixed-Nitride and
. . . . . .
Carbonitride Fuels with LMFBR Cladding Alloys 48
Compatibility of Vanadium Alloys with
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nitride Fuels 48
. . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel-Cladding Thermal Conductance 56
. . . . . . . . . . .
Irradiation Testing of Nitride Fuels 62
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Model Studies on Nitride Fuel Pins 64
.
3 Fission-Gas Release and Physical Properties of Fuel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Materials During Irradiation 67
Effect of Fission Density on Release of Fission Gas
. . . . . . . . .
from Enriched Single-CrystalU02 Spheres 67
Determination of Amount of Nonfission Heating Required
. . . . .
for In-Reactor Thermal Diffusivity Measurements 67
Effect of Temperature. Fission Density. and Burnup
on the Thermal Diffusivity and Fission-Gas
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Release of UN 72
Effect of Temperature. Fission Density. and Burnup
on the Fission-Gas Release from Sol-Gel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(U0.goPu0.20)02 Microspheres 74
Effect of Temperature. Fission Density. and Low
. . . .
Burnup on Fission-Gas Release from (Uo.75P~o.25)02 76
A Technique for Handling Pu02 Specimens Outside
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Glove Boxes 76
Fission-Gas Release Studies on Fine-Grained High-
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Density Spheres of (U. Pu)02 78
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Zirconium Metallurgy 79
. . . .
Fabrication and Texture Control of Zirconium Tubing 79
Texture Effects. Texture Development. and Anisotropy
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ofproperties 81
Circumferential Texture Variation in Zircaloy
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tubing 81
. . .
Texture Gradients in Thin-Walled Zircaloy Tubing 82
ix
.x
Part 11. Coolants
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Alkali-Metal Corrosion Studies 8'7
Mass Transfer of Interstitial Impurities Between
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanadium Alloys and Sodium 87
Oxygen Effects on the Compatibility of
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanadium and Sodium 8?
Interstitial Mass Transport Between Type 300 Series
. . . . . . . .
Stainless Steels and Vanadium Alloys 91
Interstitial Effects on Mechanical Properties of
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanadium Alloys 93
Compatibility of Stainless Steel and Insulation in
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LMFBR Systems 94
.
Effect of Insulation on Oxidation of Stainless Steel 95
-
Effect of Sodium on Oxidation of Stainless Steel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insulation Couples 100
Corrosion of Refractory Alloys in Lithium, Potassium,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
andsodium 102
Compatibility of Boiling Potassium with Refractory
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alloys 103
Effect of Oxygen on Compatibility of Refractory
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metals and Alkali Metals 120
,. . . . . .
Corrosion of Refractory Alloys by Lithium 12'7
Part 111. Radiation Damage to Structural Materials
. . . . . .
6. Behavior of Refractory Materials Under. Irradiation 139
Irradiation. D a.m a.g e. t.o .N o.n f.i s.s i.o n.a b.l e. R.e f.r a.c t.o r.y . . . . . .
Materials 139
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Refractory Metal Carbides 139
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Refractory Metal Nitrides 143
. . . . . . . . .
Effects of Irradiation on LMFBR Fuels , 145
. . . . . . . . .
Irradiations of Depleted UN-UC Fuel 145
. .
'7. Fast-Neutron Irradiation Effects on Electrical Insulators 146
General Survey of Fast-Neutron Effects on Electrical
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Insulators 146
Irradiation of High-Density, Commercial A1203 Products
. . . . . . . . . .
Considered for Thermionic Insulators 146
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Irradiations in ETR 146
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Irradiations in EBR-I1 147
. . . . . . . .
Irradiations of Metal-Clad A1203 Specimens 14'7
,