2006 International RERTR Meeting

Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the Meeting

Development of Dispersed UMo fuel :
An Oxide Layer as a Protective Barrier of the UMo Particles

S. Dubois, H. Palancher, F. Mazaudier, P. Martin, C. Sabathier, M. Ripert
CEA-Cadarache
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Cadarache, 13108 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex - France

P. Lemoine
CEA-Saclay
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex - France

C. Jarousse, M. Grasse
AREVA-CERCA (*), Les Berauds, B.P. 1114, 26104 Romans Cedex - France

N. Wieschalla, W. Petry
Forschungsneutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II)
Technische Universität München, D-85747 Garching, Germany

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the out-of-pile studies carried out to select a promising advanced UMo/Al dispersion fuel. Investigations concerning UMo particles surrounded by an oxide layer as a protective barrier are detailed and discussed. The presentation is divided in three items. Firstly, a few words argue the choice of the oxide way. In the second part, the characterizations of the fuel plates fabricated with oxidized UMo are presented. The effect of silicon addition in the matrix has also been studied. At last, the behaviour of the samples under heavy ion irradiation is described, in comparison with samples without any oxide content. These irradiations evidence the positive effect of an oxide layer surrounding the UMo particles. These results may help to define one further French irradiation in OSIRIS, the IRIS4 experiment, which could be in-pile tested in 2007.

(*) AREVA-CERCA, a subsidiary of AREVA NP, an AREVA and Siemens company

 

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