Metal Alloy Fuels for Plutonium and Minor Actinide Transmutation

34 Pages·2005·11.21 MB·English

MMeettaall AAllllooyy FFuueellss ffoorr
PPlluuttoonniiuumm aanndd MMiinnoorr
AAccttiinniiddee TTrraannssmmuuttaattiioonn
Workshop on Advanced Reactors With
Innovative Fuels (ARWIF-2005)
Oak Ridge, TN
J. Rory Kennedy
M. K. Meyer, S. L. Hayes, J. R. Stuart,
D. D. Keiser, A. P. Maddison
February 16, 2005
AAcckknnoowwlleeddggeemmeennttss
Alloy Fabrication: Mr. Jim Stuart, Mr. Gavin Knighton, Ms. Kaylyne
Weatherstone, Mr. Brian Forsmann, Mr. James Sommers
Sample Preparation: Mr. Tom DiSanto, Ms. Maryanne Noy,
Mr. Brian Forsmann
Phase (XRD) measurements: Dr. Steven Frank
Microstructure (SEM): Dr. Dennis Keiser
Thermal Analysis: Ms. Jennifer Sloppy, Ms. Jacklyn Gates, Ms.
Allison Bourke
Thermal Diffusivity: Mr. Andrew Maddison, Mr. Samuel Bays,
Dr. Marsha Lambregts
Chemical Analysis: Dr. Jeffrey Giglio, Mr. Dan Cummings,
Mr. Jeffrey Berg, Ms. Pam Crane, Mr. Michael Mitchlik,
Material transfer: Mr. Scott Wilde, Mr. Ron Briggs, Mr. Bevin Brush,
Health Physics personnel, MC&A personnel, FMF personnel
OOuuttlliinnee
• Fuel Fabrication
• Am Retention
• As-cast Phase Identification
• As-cast Microstructure
• Thermal Analysis
– Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC, temps, Cp)
– Thermal Mechanical Analysis (TMA, density))
– Thermal Diffusivity (Laser Flash Method, LFD)
– Thermal Conductivity
• Fuel-Cladding-Chemical-Interaction (FCCI)
AAFFCCII MMeettaall AAllllooyy FFuueellss UUnnddeerr SSttuuddyy
• AFC1-B,D Non-fertile (4.0mm diameter; ~83% 239Pu)
– 40Pu-60Zr
– 60Pu-40Zr
– 50Pu-10Np-40Zr
– 48Pu-12Am-40Zr
– 40Pu-10Am-10Np-40Zr
• AFC1-F Low fertile (4.0mm diameter)
– 35U-35Pu-30Zr (DU: base composition)
– 35U-29Pu-4Am-2Np-30Zr (78% 235U)
– 30U-25Pu-3Am-2Np-40Zr (93% 235U)
– 40U-34Pu-4Am-2Np-20Zr (33% 235U)
– 35U-28Pu-7Am-30Zr (93% 235U)
• FUTURIX-FTA (4.9mm diameter)
• 35U-29Pu-4Am-2Np-30Zr (78% 235U)
• 48Pu-12Am-40Zr
AAmmeerriicciiuumm RReetteennttiioonn
EElleemmeenntt VVaappoorr PPrreessssuurreess
1000
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
0.001
0.0001
1E-05
1E-06
)
r 1E-07
r
1E-08
o
t 1E-09
( 1E-10

e 1E-11
r
u 1E-12
s 1E-13
s
e 1E-14
Am vapor pressure
r 1E-15
P 1E-16
r 1E-17 4-6 orders of magnitude
o 1E-18
p 1E-19
higher than Pu
a 1E-20
V
1E-21
1E-22
1E-23
1E-24
1E-25
1E-26 Americium (solid and liquid) Plutonium (solid) Plutonium (liquid)
1E-27
1E-28 Neptunium (solid) Neptunium (liquid) Zirconium (solid)
1E-29
1E-30
500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700
Temperature (C)
PPoowwddeerr MMeettaalllluurrggiiccaall AApppprrooaacchh
*
delta Pu-Zr (*) +
alpha-Zr (no mark)
δ
Zr rich -(Pu-Zr)
Carbon
*
y
δ its
Pu-rich -(Pu-Zr) n
e
tn
i
*
*
*
α
-Zr
Fe
*
*
Y O
2 3
30 40 50 60 70 80 90
two-theta
(cid:190)Developed as low temperature
(cid:190)Complex process - impractical
fabrication route to prevent Am loss.
remote process scale-up
Hot pressing.
•Powder handling
(cid:190)Inhomogeneous microstructure after
•Material loss
processing at ~ 800°C
• Time
(cid:190)High impurity content

AAmmeerriicciiuumm RReetteennttiioonn
AAFFCC11 MMeettaall AAllllooyy FFuueellss
AAss--CCaasstt RRoooomm TTeemmpp PPhhaassee RReessuullttss ((XXRRDD))
α
40Pu-60Zr -Zr (hcp)
δ
60Pu-40Zr -Pu (fcc)
δ
48Pu-12Am-40Zr -Pu (fcc)
δ δ δ
50Pu-10Np-40Zr -Pu (fcc) + -MZr ( -UZr hex)
2 2
δ δ δ
40Pu-10Am-10Np-40Zr -Pu (fcc) + -MZr ( -UZr hex)
2 2
δ δ
30U-25Pu-3Am-2Np-40Zr -MZr ( -UZr hex)
2 2
δ δ
35U-29Pu-4Am-2Np-30Zr -MZr ( -UZr hex) + ζ-U (? minor)
2 2
δ δ
35U-28Pu-7Am-30Zr -MZr ( -UZr hex) + ζ-U (? minor)
2 2
δ δ
40U-34Pu-4Am-2Np-20Zr -MZr ( -UZr hex) + ζ-U (?)
2 2
AAFFCC11 MMeettaall AAllllooyy FFuueellss
AAss--CCaasstt RRoooomm TTeemmpp PPhhaassee RReessuullttss ((XXRRDD))
Pu-40Zr
Pu-12Am-40Zr