Nanoscale compositional and structural analysis of rolled U-10Mo alloys.
EMSL Project ID
50579
Abstract
PNNL as a part of the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Conversion within the Office of Material Minimization and Management (M3) is working on converting the high enriched uranium (HEU) fuel currently used in civilian research and test reactors to low enriched uranium fuels (LEU) to permanently secures the site by removing the threat posed by continued HEU operations. Several experimental programs aimed at developing of LEU fuels are in progress at PNNL in collaboration with other national laboratories and require detailed characterization of the microstructure of these fuels as a function of various processing methods and composition of raw materials. The materials consist primarily of cast or heat treated or rolled depleted uranium-10Mo alloy plates. The primary microstructure of these plates consists of U-Mo BCC matrix with other impurity phases like Uranium carbides, MoSi2 or oxide precipitates. In order to ensure the quality of the U-10Mo fuel plates as a function of different processing parameters and composition of raw materials, detailed microstructural characterization of the final U-10Mo alloys needs to be conducted using electron microscopy, xray diffraction and atom probe tomography. This EMSL proposal is submitted to obtain access to EMSL instrumentation in EMSL radiochemistry annex and in EMSL building for this nationally and globally significant project.
Project Details
Start Date
2018-10-23
End Date
2019-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Kovarik L., A. Devaraj, C.A. Lavender, and V.V. Joshi. 2019. "Crystallographic and Compositional Analysis of impurity phase: U2MoSi2C in UMo Alloys." Journal of Nuclear Materials 519. PNNL-SA-140234. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.03.044
Whalen S.A., N.R. Overman, V.V. Joshi, T. Varga, D.D. Graff, and C.A. Lavender. 2019. "Magnesium Alloy ZK60 Tubing made by Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE)." Materials Science and Engineering. A. Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing 755. PNNL-SA-140301. doi:10.1016/j.msea.2019.04.013