Fabrication of Monolithic RERTR Fuels by Hot Isostatic Pressing

• Published in: Nuclear technology Vol. 172; no. 2; pp. 204 - 210
• Main Authors: Jue, Jan-Fong, Park, Blair H., Clark, Curtis R., Moore, Glenn A., Keiser, Dennis D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: La Grange Park, IL Taylor & Francis 01.11.2010; American Nuclear Society
• Subjects: ALUMINIUM; Applied sciences; BONDING; Cladding; DESIGN; DIFFUSION BARRIERS; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; FABRICATION; Fission nuclear power plants; FUEL PLATES; Fuels; Hot Isostatic Pressing; HOT PRESSING; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Nuclear engineering; NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; NUCLEAR FUELS; Nuclear power generation; Nuclear reactor components; Nuclear reactors; Plates; Preparation and processing of nuclear fuels; PROCESSING; RERTR Fuels; RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS; TEST REACTORS; URANIUM; ZIRCONIUM; United States; North America; Idaho; America; Enrichment; Costs; Fuel-cladding interactions; Hot isostatic pressing; Nuclear fuel; High temperature; Clad; Molybdenum; Dispersion; Thin film; Progress report; Nuclear reactor; Zirconium; nuclear fuels; Research program; Uranium; Loading; Diffusion barrier; Silicon; Manufacturing; Nuclear program; Research reactor
• ISSN: 0029-5450; 1943-7471; 1943-7471
• DOI: 10.13182/NT10-A10905

The Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program develops advanced nuclear fuels for high-power test reactors. Monolithic fuel design provides higher uranium loading than that of the traditional dispersion fuel design. Hot isostatic pressing is a promising process for low-cost batch fabrication of monolithic RERTR fuel plates for these high-power reactors. Bonding U-Mo fuel foil and 6061-Al cladding by hot isostatic press bonding was successfully developed at Idaho National Laboratory. Because of the relatively high processing temperature, the interaction between fuel meat and aluminum cladding is a concern. Two different methods were employed to mitigate this effect: a diffusion barrier and a doping addition to the interface. Both types of fuel plates have been fabricated by hot isostatic press bonding. Preliminary results show that the direct fuel/cladding interaction during the bonding process was eliminated by introducing a thin zirconium diffusion barrier layer between the fuel and the cladding. Fuel plates were also produced and characterized with a silicon-rich interlayer between fuel and cladding. This paper reports the recent progress of this developmental effort and identifies the areas that need further attention.