Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-xh428 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-16T01:55:58.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP): A novel method to prepare Cr-doped UO2 nuclear fuel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2020

Theo Cordara ,
Hannah Smith ,
Ritesh Mohun ,
Laura J. Gardner ,
Martin C. Stennett Open the ORCID record for Martin C. Stennett [Opens in a new window] ,
Neil C. Hyatt  and
Claire L. Corkhill Open the ORCID record for Claire L. Corkhill [Opens in a new window]
Theo Cordara
Affiliation:
NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom
Hannah Smith
Affiliation:
NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom
Ritesh Mohun
Affiliation:
NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom
Laura J. Gardner
Affiliation:
NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom
Martin C. Stennett
Affiliation:
NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom
Neil C. Hyatt
Affiliation:
NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom
Claire L. Corkhill*
Affiliation:
NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, United Kingdom
*
*(Email: c.corkhill@sheffield.ac.uk)
Get access

Abstract

The addition of Cr2O3 to modern UO2 fuel modifies the microstructure so that, through the generation of larger grains during fission, a higher proportion of fission gases can be accommodated. This reduces the pellet-cladding mechanical interaction of the fuel rods, allowing the fuels to be “burned” for longer than traditional UO2 fuel, thus maximising the energy obtained. We here describe the preparation of UO2 and Cr-doped UO2 using Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), as a potential method for fuel fabrication, and for development of analogue materials for spent nuclear fuel research. Characterization of the synthesised materials confirmed that high density UO2 was successfully formed, and that Cr was present as particles at grain boundaries and also within the UO2 matrix, possibly in a reduced form due to the processing conditions. In contrast to studies of Cr-doped UO2 synthesised by other methods, no significant changes to the grain size were observed in the presence of Cr.

Keywords

nuclear materialshot isostatic pressing (HIP)actinide

Information

Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 5 , Issue 1-2: Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XLIII , 2020 , pp. 45 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Arborelius, J., Backman, K., Hallstadius, L., Nilsson, J., Rebensdorff, B., Zhou, G., Löfström, R., Rönnberg, G., Arborelius, J., Backman, K., Hallstadius, L., Nilsson, J., Rebensdorff, B., Zhou, G., Kitano, K., Nilsson, J., Advanced Doped UO2 Pellets in LWR Applications, 3131 (2012). doi:10.1080/18811248.2006.9711184.Google Scholar
Yuda, R., Harada, H., Hosokawa, T., Une, K., Kashibe, S., Shimizu, S., Kubo, T., Effects of pellet microstructure on irradiation behavior of UO2, J. Nucl. Mater. 248 (1997) 262–267.10.1016/S0022-3115(97)00122-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourgeois, L., Dehaudt, P., Lemaignan, C., Hammou, A., Factors governing microstructure development of Cr2O3-doped UO2 during sintering, J. Nucl. Mater. 297 (2001) 313–326. doi:10.1016/S0022-3115(01)00626-2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leenaers, A., De Tollenaere, L., Delafoy, C., Van den Berghe, S., On the solubility of chromium sesquioxide in uranium dioxide fuel, J. Nucl. Mater. 317 (2003) 62–68. doi:10.1016/S0022-3115(02)01693-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, D.., Effect of small amounts of aluminium doping on the grain growth of a UO2 pellet, Trans. Korean Nucl. Soc. Spring Meet. (2006).Google Scholar
Cooper, M.W.D., Gregg, D.J., Zhang, Y., Thorogood, G.J., Lumpkin, G.R., Grimes, R.W., Middleburgh, S.C., Formation of (Cr, Al)UO4 from doped UO2 and its influence on partition of soluble fission products, J. Nucl. Mater. 443 (2013) 236–241. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.07.038.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
V Atkinson, H., Davies, S., Fundamental Aspects of Hot Isostatic Pressing: An Overview, m (2000).10.1007/s11661-000-0078-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornber, S. M.. The Development of Zirconolite Glass-Ceramics for the Disposition of Actinide Wastes. PhD Thesis, The University of Sheffield (2018).Google Scholar
Balzar, D., Voight-Function Model in Diffraction line Broadening Analysis, Microstruct. Anal. from Diffr. (1999).Google Scholar
Vance, E.R., Stewart, M.W.A., Moricca, S.A., Progress at ANSTO on SYNROC, J. Aust. Ceram. Soc., 50 (2014) 38–48.Google Scholar
Tsuji, T., Iwashita, M., Yamashita, T., Ohuchi, K., Effect of cations on lattice constants of (MyU1-y)O2.00 (M = Pu, Th, La) at low doped cation concentrations, J. Nucl. Mater. 273 (1998) 391–394.Google Scholar
Leinders, G., Cardinaels, T., Binnemans, K., Verwerft, M., Accurate lattice parameter measurements of stoichiometric uranium dioxide, J. Nucl. Mater. 459 (2015) 135–142. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.01.029.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cardinaels, T., Govers, K., Vos, B., Van Den Berghe, S., Verwerft, M., De Tollenaere, L., Maier, G., Delafoy, C., Chromia doped UO2 fuel: Investigation of the lattice parameter, J. Nucl. Mater. 424 (2012) 252–260. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2012.02.025.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, M.W.D., Stanek, C.R., Andersson, D.A., The role of dopant charge state on defect chemistry and grain growth of doped UO2, Acta Mater. 150 (2018) 403–413. doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2018.02.020.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Desgranges, L., Baldinozzi, G., Rousseau, G., Ni, J., Neutron Diffraction Study of the in situ Oxidation of UO2, (2009) 7585–7592. doi:10.1021/ic9000889.Google Scholar
Mohun, R., Desgranges, L., Léchelle, J., Simon, P., Guimbretière, G., Canizarès, A., Duval, F., Jegou, C., Magnin, M., Clavier, N., Dacheux, N., Valot, C., Vauchy, R., Charged defects during alpha-irradiation of actinide oxides as revealed by Raman and luminescence spectroscopy, Nucl. Inst. Methods Phys. Res. B. 374 (2016) 67–70. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2015.08.003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar