Fabrication of stoichiometric U3Si2 fuel pellets

Adrian R. Wagner; Jason M. Harp; Kip E. Archibald; Seth C. Ashby; Jennifer K. Watkins; Kevin R. Tolman

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2019.05.016

Fabrication of stoichiometric U₃Si₂ fuel pellets

Adrian R. Wagner, Jason M. Harp, Kip E. Archibald, Seth C. Ashby, Jennifer K. Watkins, Kevin R. Tolman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Uranium silicide, U₃Si₂, is an accident tolerant fuel type which is gaining momentum as a replacement fuel for uranium dioxide (UO₂). Idaho National Laboratories has been fabricating phase pure U₃Si₂ fuel pellets for use in various irradiation and material characterization experiments. Stoichiometric U₃Si₂ fuel pellets were fabricated using a powder metallurgy and arc melting technique. The use of the stoichiometric ratio to alloy uranium and silicon, and sintering in a vacuum environment allowed for the fabrication of high density (>94% theoretical density), phase pure pellets, greater than 94% U₃Si₂. Silicon volatilization was not observed in the as-sintered microstructure, which has been verified through XRD and SEM, thus eliminating the need to alloy a substoichiometric U/Si ratio. • Stoichiometric ratio of U to Si used to form U₃Si₂ phase. • Decrease in secondary phases present confirm absence of silicon volatilization. • Analysis via XRD and SEM confirm the phase purity of the U₃Si₂ fuel pellets.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1252-1260
Number of pages	9
Journal	MethodsX
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2019.05.016
State	Published - 2019
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This manuscript has been authored by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC07-05ID14517 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Nuclear Energy

Keywords

Fuel fabrication via powder metallurgy
Uranium silicide (U3Si2)
XRD, accident tolerant fuel

Access to Document

10.1016/j.mex.2019.05.016

Cite this

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title = "Fabrication of stoichiometric U3Si2 fuel pellets",

abstract = "Uranium silicide, U3Si2, is an accident tolerant fuel type which is gaining momentum as a replacement fuel for uranium dioxide (UO2). Idaho National Laboratories has been fabricating phase pure U3Si2 fuel pellets for use in various irradiation and material characterization experiments. Stoichiometric U3Si2 fuel pellets were fabricated using a powder metallurgy and arc melting technique. The use of the stoichiometric ratio to alloy uranium and silicon, and sintering in a vacuum environment allowed for the fabrication of high density (>94% theoretical density), phase pure pellets, greater than 94% U3Si2. Silicon volatilization was not observed in the as-sintered microstructure, which has been verified through XRD and SEM, thus eliminating the need to alloy a substoichiometric U/Si ratio. • Stoichiometric ratio of U to Si used to form U3Si2 phase. • Decrease in secondary phases present confirm absence of silicon volatilization. • Analysis via XRD and SEM confirm the phase purity of the U3Si2 fuel pellets.",

keywords = "Fuel fabrication via powder metallurgy, Uranium silicide (U3Si2), XRD, accident tolerant fuel",

author = "Wagner, {Adrian R.} and Harp, {Jason M.} and Archibald, {Kip E.} and Ashby, {Seth C.} and Watkins, {Jennifer K.} and Tolman, {Kevin R.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019",

year = "2019",

doi = "10.1016/j.mex.2019.05.016",

language = "English",

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AU - Wagner, Adrian R.

AU - Harp, Jason M.

AU - Archibald, Kip E.

AU - Ashby, Seth C.

AU - Watkins, Jennifer K.

AU - Tolman, Kevin R.

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Uranium silicide, U3Si2, is an accident tolerant fuel type which is gaining momentum as a replacement fuel for uranium dioxide (UO2). Idaho National Laboratories has been fabricating phase pure U3Si2 fuel pellets for use in various irradiation and material characterization experiments. Stoichiometric U3Si2 fuel pellets were fabricated using a powder metallurgy and arc melting technique. The use of the stoichiometric ratio to alloy uranium and silicon, and sintering in a vacuum environment allowed for the fabrication of high density (>94% theoretical density), phase pure pellets, greater than 94% U3Si2. Silicon volatilization was not observed in the as-sintered microstructure, which has been verified through XRD and SEM, thus eliminating the need to alloy a substoichiometric U/Si ratio. • Stoichiometric ratio of U to Si used to form U3Si2 phase. • Decrease in secondary phases present confirm absence of silicon volatilization. • Analysis via XRD and SEM confirm the phase purity of the U3Si2 fuel pellets.

AB - Uranium silicide, U3Si2, is an accident tolerant fuel type which is gaining momentum as a replacement fuel for uranium dioxide (UO2). Idaho National Laboratories has been fabricating phase pure U3Si2 fuel pellets for use in various irradiation and material characterization experiments. Stoichiometric U3Si2 fuel pellets were fabricated using a powder metallurgy and arc melting technique. The use of the stoichiometric ratio to alloy uranium and silicon, and sintering in a vacuum environment allowed for the fabrication of high density (>94% theoretical density), phase pure pellets, greater than 94% U3Si2. Silicon volatilization was not observed in the as-sintered microstructure, which has been verified through XRD and SEM, thus eliminating the need to alloy a substoichiometric U/Si ratio. • Stoichiometric ratio of U to Si used to form U3Si2 phase. • Decrease in secondary phases present confirm absence of silicon volatilization. • Analysis via XRD and SEM confirm the phase purity of the U3Si2 fuel pellets.

KW - Fuel fabrication via powder metallurgy

KW - Uranium silicide (U3Si2)

KW - XRD, accident tolerant fuel

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