Quality Control Methods for Measurement of UCO Kernel Composition and SiC Microstructure

Grant W. Helmreich; Katherine I. Montoya; William F. Cureton; Eddie Lopez-Honorato; Tyler J. Gerczak; John D. Hunn

doi:10.2172/2311297

Quality Control Methods for Measurement of UCO Kernel Composition and SiC Microstructure

Grant W. Helmreich, Katherine I. Montoya, William F. Cureton, Eddie Lopez-Honorato, Tyler J. Gerczak, John D. Hunn

Particle Fuel Forms

Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report

Abstract

Quality control (QC) is critically important to tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuels owing to the complexity of and reliance on the fuel form to contain fission products during irradiation. Characterization methods for particle fuel QC have decades of history and have continued to develop as new insights into fuel performance inform revised fuel specifications and as advances in underlying technologies expand the possibilities of what may be characterized. Two relatively new methods for characterization of TRISO fuels have been published in open literature: optical microscopy image analysis for mixed uranium carbide/uranium oxide (UCO) kernel composition analysis and automated grain boundary detection in backscattered electron (BSE) images of the silicon carbide (SiC) layer in TRISO particles for grain size characterization. Suggestions and guidelines for the application of these methods to TRISO fuel qualification are provided in this report.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	United States
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2172/2311297
State	Published - 2023

Keywords

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS

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10.2172/2311297

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title = "Quality Control Methods for Measurement of UCO Kernel Composition and SiC Microstructure",

abstract = "Quality control (QC) is critically important to tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuels owing to the complexity of and reliance on the fuel form to contain fission products during irradiation. Characterization methods for particle fuel QC have decades of history and have continued to develop as new insights into fuel performance inform revised fuel specifications and as advances in underlying technologies expand the possibilities of what may be characterized. Two relatively new methods for characterization of TRISO fuels have been published in open literature: optical microscopy image analysis for mixed uranium carbide/uranium oxide (UCO) kernel composition analysis and automated grain boundary detection in backscattered electron (BSE) images of the silicon carbide (SiC) layer in TRISO particles for grain size characterization. Suggestions and guidelines for the application of these methods to TRISO fuel qualification are provided in this report.",

keywords = "11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS",

author = "Helmreich, {Grant W.} and Montoya, {Katherine I.} and Cureton, {William F.} and Eddie Lopez-Honorato and Gerczak, {Tyler J.} and Hunn, {John D.}",

year = "2023",

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T1 - Quality Control Methods for Measurement of UCO Kernel Composition and SiC Microstructure

AU - Helmreich, Grant W.

AU - Montoya, Katherine I.

AU - Cureton, William F.

AU - Lopez-Honorato, Eddie

AU - Gerczak, Tyler J.

AU - Hunn, John D.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Quality control (QC) is critically important to tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuels owing to the complexity of and reliance on the fuel form to contain fission products during irradiation. Characterization methods for particle fuel QC have decades of history and have continued to develop as new insights into fuel performance inform revised fuel specifications and as advances in underlying technologies expand the possibilities of what may be characterized. Two relatively new methods for characterization of TRISO fuels have been published in open literature: optical microscopy image analysis for mixed uranium carbide/uranium oxide (UCO) kernel composition analysis and automated grain boundary detection in backscattered electron (BSE) images of the silicon carbide (SiC) layer in TRISO particles for grain size characterization. Suggestions and guidelines for the application of these methods to TRISO fuel qualification are provided in this report.

AB - Quality control (QC) is critically important to tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuels owing to the complexity of and reliance on the fuel form to contain fission products during irradiation. Characterization methods for particle fuel QC have decades of history and have continued to develop as new insights into fuel performance inform revised fuel specifications and as advances in underlying technologies expand the possibilities of what may be characterized. Two relatively new methods for characterization of TRISO fuels have been published in open literature: optical microscopy image analysis for mixed uranium carbide/uranium oxide (UCO) kernel composition analysis and automated grain boundary detection in backscattered electron (BSE) images of the silicon carbide (SiC) layer in TRISO particles for grain size characterization. Suggestions and guidelines for the application of these methods to TRISO fuel qualification are provided in this report.

KW - 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS

U2 - 10.2172/2311297

DO - 10.2172/2311297

M3 - Commissioned report

BT - Quality Control Methods for Measurement of UCO Kernel Composition and SiC Microstructure

CY - United States

ER -

Quality Control Methods for Measurement of UCO Kernel Composition and SiC Microstructure

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Keywords

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