Microstructure Evolution of U–Zr System in A Thermal Cycling Neutron Diffraction Experiment: Extruded U–10Zr (wt. %)

Yi Xie, Sven C. Vogel, Jason M. Harp, Michael T. Benson, Luca Capriotti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microstructure evolution of 1073 K extruded U–10Zr (wt. %) fuel during thermal cycling (303–1073 K with a ~9 hour hold at 873 K during cooling) was investigated using in situ neutron diffraction. Analysis was performed using Rietveld texture and crystal structure refinements from time–of–flight neutron diffraction data, with a focus on the evolution of textures and lattice parameters as a function of temperature. The α–U phase exhibits lattice contraction with increasing temperature along the b lattice direction and lattice expansion in the other directions while the other phases exhibit lattice expansion with temperature in all directions. Contrary to the established phase diagram, the β–U phase is absent at the temperatures of the thermal cycling. (001)α and (110)γ plane normals are observed with a strong preferred orientation along the extrusion direction. The variant selection of (001)α||(110)γ is observed for the first time.

Original languageEnglish
Article number152665
JournalJournal of Nuclear Materials
Volume544
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2021

Funding

This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE–AC07–05ID14517, and UT–Battelle, LLC, under contract DE–AC05–00OR22725. Accordingly, the US Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US Government retains a nonexclusive, paid–up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript or allow others to do so, for US Government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe–public–access–plan). The work has benefitted from the use of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number 89233218NCA000001. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE–AC07–05ID14517, and UT–Battelle, LLC, under contract DE–AC05–00OR22725. Accordingly, the US Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US Government retains a nonexclusive, paid–up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript or allow others to do so, for US Government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe–public–access–plan ). The work has benefitted from the use of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number 89233218NCA000001.

Keywords

  • Extrusion
  • In–situ high temperature neutron diffraction
  • Lattice parameter
  • Texture
  • U–10Zr

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