Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the 2005 International RERTR Meeting
LESSONS FROM
THE ATOMS-FOR-PEACE RESEARCH REACTOR FUELS PROGRAM,
1955-1965
D.L. Moses, S.J. Zinkle, T.J.
Huxford, J.L. Binder
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
One Bethel Valley Road
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6050 – USA
ABSTRACT
This paper describes relevant findings
from 1950-1965 work on both high-density LEU fuels and
high-performance HEU fuels and how these findings relate
to current work being performed to develop and qualify
LEU fuel for the high-performance research reactors. The
problems experienced in fabricating aluminum fuels with
heavy uranium loading are reviewed. The adverse impacts
of aluminide formation and densification observed in
this early work are summarized. The effect of adding
silicon and other elements to minimize or eliminate the
problem in aluminum matrix fuels, which was studied and
patented by Oak Ridge National Laboratory staff in
1958-60, is assessed. In the early 1960s, ORNL also
fabricated aluminum clad HEU fuels using niobium coated
urania-zirconia particles and evaluated their
irradiation performance at very high burn-up (65 atom
percent). Some comments are also made on equilibrium
versus non-equilibrium phase formation in a radiation
environment.
Contact: Dr. Jordi Roglans-Ribas
Technical Director, RERTR Department
Nuclear Engineering Division – 362
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass Avenue
Argonne, IL 60439
Fax: +1 630-252-5161
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