Phase evolution of U-Zr system in a thermal cycling neutron diffraction experiment: as-cast U-35Zr and U-50Zr

Yi Xie; Sven C. Vogel; Michael T. Benson; Jason M. Harp

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153681

Phase evolution of U-Zr system in a thermal cycling neutron diffraction experiment: as-cast U-35Zr and U-50Zr

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

Nuclear Fuel Element Performance

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

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Phase evolution of as-cast U-35 wt% Zr and U-50 wt% Zr alloys during thermal cycling (303–1073 K) was investigated using in-situ neutron diffraction. Analysis was performed using Rietveld crystal and microstructure refinements from time-of-flight neutron diffraction data, with a focus on evolution of lattice parameter, atom ordering, unit cell volume, and weight fractions during the thermal cycling. Disordered δ-UZr₂ and residual γ-(U,Zr) phase are retained in the field of δ of the U-Zr equilibrium phase diagram for the U-50Zr sample, and in the field between δ and α-U for the U-35Zr sample. The α phase that is present in the reported phase diagrams of U-Zr was not observed in the diffraction patterns. The evolutions of lattice parameter and unit cell volume of δ and γ are affected by both thermal expansion and chemistry.

Original language	English
Article number	153681
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume	564
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153681
State	Published - Jun 2022

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. This information was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the US Government. Neither the US Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. References herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, do not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the US Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the US Government or any agency thereof.

Funders	Funder number
DOE Public Access Plan
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725, 89233218NCA000001, DE-AC07-05ID14517
Office of Nuclear Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Government of South Australia

Keywords

Microstructure, Phase transformations, Nuclear fuels
Neutron diffraction
U-35Zr
U-50Zr

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10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153681

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title = "Phase evolution of U-Zr system in a thermal cycling neutron diffraction experiment: as-cast U-35Zr and U-50Zr",

abstract = "Phase evolution of as-cast U-35 wt% Zr and U-50 wt% Zr alloys during thermal cycling (303–1073 K) was investigated using in-situ neutron diffraction. Analysis was performed using Rietveld crystal and microstructure refinements from time-of-flight neutron diffraction data, with a focus on evolution of lattice parameter, atom ordering, unit cell volume, and weight fractions during the thermal cycling. Disordered δ-UZr2 and residual γ-(U,Zr) phase are retained in the field of δ of the U-Zr equilibrium phase diagram for the U-50Zr sample, and in the field between δ and α-U for the U-35Zr sample. The α phase that is present in the reported phase diagrams of U-Zr was not observed in the diffraction patterns. The evolutions of lattice parameter and unit cell volume of δ and γ are affected by both thermal expansion and chemistry.",

keywords = "Microstructure, Phase transformations, Nuclear fuels, Neutron diffraction, U-35Zr, U-50Zr",

author = "Yi Xie and Vogel, {Sven C.} and Benson, {Michael T.} and Harp, {Jason M.}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153681",

language = "English",

volume = "564",

journal = "Journal of Nuclear Materials",

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AU - Xie, Yi

AU - Vogel, Sven C.

AU - Benson, Michael T.

AU - Harp, Jason M.

PY - 2022/6

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N2 - Phase evolution of as-cast U-35 wt% Zr and U-50 wt% Zr alloys during thermal cycling (303–1073 K) was investigated using in-situ neutron diffraction. Analysis was performed using Rietveld crystal and microstructure refinements from time-of-flight neutron diffraction data, with a focus on evolution of lattice parameter, atom ordering, unit cell volume, and weight fractions during the thermal cycling. Disordered δ-UZr2 and residual γ-(U,Zr) phase are retained in the field of δ of the U-Zr equilibrium phase diagram for the U-50Zr sample, and in the field between δ and α-U for the U-35Zr sample. The α phase that is present in the reported phase diagrams of U-Zr was not observed in the diffraction patterns. The evolutions of lattice parameter and unit cell volume of δ and γ are affected by both thermal expansion and chemistry.

AB - Phase evolution of as-cast U-35 wt% Zr and U-50 wt% Zr alloys during thermal cycling (303–1073 K) was investigated using in-situ neutron diffraction. Analysis was performed using Rietveld crystal and microstructure refinements from time-of-flight neutron diffraction data, with a focus on evolution of lattice parameter, atom ordering, unit cell volume, and weight fractions during the thermal cycling. Disordered δ-UZr2 and residual γ-(U,Zr) phase are retained in the field of δ of the U-Zr equilibrium phase diagram for the U-50Zr sample, and in the field between δ and α-U for the U-35Zr sample. The α phase that is present in the reported phase diagrams of U-Zr was not observed in the diffraction patterns. The evolutions of lattice parameter and unit cell volume of δ and γ are affected by both thermal expansion and chemistry.

KW - Microstructure, Phase transformations, Nuclear fuels

KW - Neutron diffraction

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Phase evolution of U-Zr system in a thermal cycling neutron diffraction experiment: as-cast U-35Zr and U-50Zr

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Keywords

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