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Nanoscale elemental and isotopic analysis of U-10Mo alloys


EMSL Project ID
51812

Abstract

Uranium alloyed with 10 wt% molybdenum (U-10Mo) has been selected to replace highly enriched uranium oxide dispersion fuels for use in high performance research and test reactors. Manufacturing U-10Mo alloy fuel involves several complex thermomechanical processing steps and understanding the microstructure and its evolution throughout the various fabrication steps is critical to enable the deployment of a reliable fuel production capability. Nonmetallic inclusions are often found in U castings and may affect subsequent fuel processing steps and microstructure evolution. Yet, the origin of these inclusions is not well established. To elucidate the origin and formation mechanisms, characterization of elemental and isotopic compositions is needed for varying casting parameters. Atom probe tomography is required for such characterization owing to the nanoscale to micrometer length scales of inclusions in U-10Mo castings, in addition to the ability to simultaneously analyze elements and isotopes present with high spatial resolution. The elemental and isotopic compositions of inclusions and the surrounding metal matrix can provide unique insights into inclusion formation, and provide valuable feedback about casting parameters and impact to fuel quality. 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 U-10Mo alloys needs to be conducted via atom probe tomography. This EMSL proposal is submitted to obtain access to the APT instrument in EMSL. The proposed work directly supports a global interest in reducing the manufacturing and use of highly enriched uranium fuels in research and test reactors.

Project Details

Start Date
2021-01-11
End Date
2021-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Elizabeth Kautz
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Co-Investigator(s)

Arun Devaraj
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Team Members

Vineet Joshi
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory