About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Metallic Fuels - Design, Fabrication, and Characterization
|
| Presentation Title |
Smaller and faster: conventional vs. nanocalorimetry techniques for determining thermophysical properties of nuclear fuels |
| Author(s) |
Scott C. Middlemas, Laura Bonatti, Charles Arthur Hirst, Alexandra Navrotsky |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Scott C. Middlemas |
| Abstract Scope |
Accurate knowledge of thermophysical properties of nuclear fuels, both fresh and irradiated, is critical for the development of advanced reactor concepts. Key properties such as heat capacity, incremental enthalpy, and phase transformation temperatures have historically been measured using adiabatic, drop, or scanning calorimeters. However, the use of these techniques to measure metallic fuels has often been restricted in terms of heating rate and sample mass. Recent developments in nanocalorimetry show potential to provide solutions to these technical challenges and thus accelerate the development of nuclear technology. We will briefly review conventional calorimetric studies of pure actinides as well as fast reactor metallic fuel alloys. We will report recent developments in fast scanning calorimeter technology and discuss the benefits and opportunities for fuels research, namely reduction in sample activity, emulation of heating transients, investigation of phase evolution in irradiated samples, and characterization of radiation damage evolution. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Phase Transformations, |