Phase characterization in unirradiated and irradiated metallic fuel for minor actinides transmutation in fast reactor

Closed nuclear fuel cycles, based on separation from spent fuel and subsequent recycling of Pu, U as fuel, and transmutation of Minor Actinides (MA) Np, Am, Cm, are developed worldwide to ensure sustainable energy supplies while minimizing the long-term radiotoxicity of the resulting high level waste. METAPHIX is a collaboration project between the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI, Japan) and the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU, part of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission). The project studies safety and performance of fast reactor metal fuels containing MA; safety of all stages of a closed nuclear fuel cycle are considered. Nine Na-bonded fuel pins loaded with four U-Pu-Zr-based alloy compounds were fabricated in ITU. Two compounds contained Rare Earths (RE: Y, Ce, Nd, Gd) in addition to MA, reproducing the output of pyrometallurgical reprocessing of LWR spent fuel. Base alloy U-19Pu-10Zr fuel was also included as reference. Unirradiated METAPHIX fuel samples characterization complements post irradiation examination and contributes to deeper understanding of the irradiation effects on phase composition and distribution in the metal alloy fuel containing MA and RE. Comparative phase analysis on unirradiated and low and medium burnup fuel samples are performed, together with other thermo-physical studies. The results obtained so far confirm the overall positive irradiation behaviour of MA-containing alloy fuel, in line with that of conventional U-Pu-Zr.

CAPRIOTTI Luca;  INAGAKI Kenta;  PAPAIOANNOU Dimitrios;  BREMIER Stephan;  OHTA Hirokazu;  OGATA T;  ELOIRDI Rachel;  BOCCI Fabio;  BOUEXIERE Daniel;  RONDINELLA Vincenzo; 

2014-11-27

American Nuclear Society

JRC88447

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC88447,