High Temperature Irradiation Test Of Uo2 Cermet Fuels

Niobium-clad niobium cermets and Type 430 stainless steel-clad molybdenum and chromium cermets, all containing 80 vol% 20% enriched UO2, prepared by vapordeposition techniques or from the powders and densified and clad by gas-pressure bonding, were subjected to hightemperature high-heat-flux irradiation in the MTR. Two instrumerted double-walled capsules, each containing duplicate NaK-immersed cylindrical specimens of the three compositions were involved. Specimen diameters were varied according to the particular cermet thermal conductivity in an attempt to secure central temperatures of about 0.6 of the matrix melting point. Probably because of weld failures in both capsules, irradiation temperatures were higher than intended, causing loss of the chromium cermets in one capsule and all of the cermets in the other capsule. The remaining specimens were given a postirradiation dimensional and metallographic examination. The niobium-clad niobium-UO2 cermet exhibited excellent stability at estimated center-line temperatures above 2500 deg F. A density decrease of only 1.4% was measured at a burnup of about 4 at.%. Although the capsule overheating caused the molybdenum-UO2 cermet to partially melt, areas only a few mils from the melted zone showed no evidence of damage from the adverse conditions of the irradiation. (auth).