About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Symposium
|
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Presentation Title |
Arc-Melt Synthesis and Characterization of Advanced Fuels and Surrogates for Next-Generation Reactor Applications |
| Author(s) |
Mira Khair, Jennifer Stansby, Patrick Warren, Elizabeth Sooby |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Mira Khair |
| Abstract Scope |
The fabrication and development of advanced nuclear fuels are essential for supporting next-generation reactor systems. In this study, advanced nuclear fuels including uranium boride (UB₂), uranium nitride (UN), and zirconium nitride (ZrN) used as a surrogate for UN were successfully fabricated. Arc melt synthesis was chosen as the fabrication method due to its low cost and rapid processing, making it an effective approach for generating preliminary data in fuel development. To simulate UN fuel behavior and study the speciation of fission products, ZrN was doped with representative metallic fission products and synthesized as a surrogate matrix. All fabricated fuels were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), confirming phase formation, microstructural features, and material homogeneity. The results revealed the formation of secondary phases in some fuel samples; therefore, additional steps were incorporated into the fabrication process to ensure the formation of only the targeted phases. This study confirms the effectiveness of arc melting as a synthesis method for advanced fuel materials and presents preliminary insights into their microstructural properties. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |