About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Metallic Fuels - Design, Fabrication, and Characterization
|
| Presentation Title |
Site-specific porosity and high temperature behavior of U-10Zr fuel |
| Author(s) |
Ericmoore E. Jossou, Anthony Harrup, Riley Moeykens, Michael Drakopoulos, Nghia Vo, Jana Howard, Tiankai Yao |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Ericmoore E. Jossou |
| Abstract Scope |
Uranium-Zirconium (U-10Zr) alloy is widely recognized as the leading metallic fuel candidate for Sodium Fast Reactors due to its combination of desirable thermal, mechanical, and high uranium density. In particular, U-10Zr offers favorable thermal conductivity, good compatibility with liquid sodium coolant, and a high burnup capacity, making it an ideal material for advanced nuclear reactor systems designed to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Understanding the microstructural evolution of U-10wt%Zr metallic fuel behavior at high temperature and under irradiation is essential for predicting the thermal and mechanical behavior of fast reactor fuels. In this study, we employ high-resolution synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography to analyze porosity formation, morphology, and connectivity across distinct radial regions of an irradiated U-10Zr fuel. Furthermore, we investigated the high temperature nucleation and growth dynamics of the morphology of a secondary Zr-containing phase. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Characterization, |