STUDY OF FISSION GAS BUBBLES AND INTERACTION LAYER ON IRRADIATED U3Si2-Al DENSITY OF 4.8 gU/cm3

Abstract

STUDY OF FISSION GAS BUBBLES AND INTERACTION LAYER ON IRRADIATED U3Si2-Al DENSITY OF 4.8 gU/cm3. Uranium-silicide compound fuel dispersed in aluminium matrix (U3Si2-Al) have been used in a large number of research reactors around the world because of its excellent behavior under irradiation. This fuel also provides high uranium density with typical fuel loading up to 4.8 gU/cm3 to compensate for the reduced fissile amount in LEU. To improve the density of current U3Si2-Al (2.96 gU/cm3) used in Indonesian GA Siwabessy Multipurpose Research Reactor, U3Si2-Al dispersion fuel plate with density of 4.8 gU/cm3 (U235 ∼19.75%) had been irradiated in RSG GAS for 175 days at 15 MW power to burnup level of approximately 40%. The characterization was performed using SEM-EDS and optical microscope to study microstructure of the irradiatted fuel, largely the fission gas bubbles and the interaction layer between U3Si2 fuel and Al matrix. The average diameter of the bubbles with diameter from 0.06 to 0.55 µm was 0.21 µm. The interaction layer was identified as U(Al,Si)2,3 with thickness of approximately 1.5 µm. The relatively small fission gas bubbles and the interaction layer didn’t cause swelling on the fuel and the overall performance of the fuel plate was very good.Keyword: LEU, uranium-silicide, post-irradiation examination, interaction layer, fission gas bubbles.

ANALISIS KRITIKALITAS PROSES HYDRIDING SERTA PENYIMPANAN PADUAN UMo DAN UZr SEBAGAI KANDIDAT BAHAN BAKAR REAKTOR RISET MENGGUNAKAN OPENMC

“…Dalam upaya peningkatan unjuk kerja dan keekonomian bahan bakar reaktor riset, pengembangan bahan bakar silisida U3Si2/Al telah mencapai densitas 4,8 dan 5,2 gU/cm 3 . Bahan bakar U3Si2/Al densitas 4,8 gU/cm 3 telah memasuki tahapan uji pascairadiasi dengan hasil evaluasi yang cukup baik [4]- [8].…”

OXIDE LAYER CHARACTERIZATION OF AlMg2 CLADDING OF IRRADIATED U3Si2/Al FUEL WITH 4,8 gU/cm3 DENSITY

“…Based on calculation using ORIGEN2, the amount of burned 235 U was 18.41% for CBBJ249, 36.71% for CBBJ251, and 55.16% for CBBJ250 [15] After irradiation and cooling down in the reactor pool, the three plates were then taken to Radiometallurgy Installation (RMI) for the post irradiation examination (PIE) to investigate the performance of the fuels. In the previous report, the microstructure of irradiated CBBJ251 (burn-up ∼40%) had been successfully investigated using SEM and optical microscope, mainly the fission gas bubble formed in the fuel meat and the interaction layer between the fuel meat and Al matrix [16]. In addition to the fuel's microstructural study, investigation on the oxide layer formed on the surface of outer AlMg2 cladding of CBBJ251 fuel plate was performed using SEM-EDS analysis.…”