• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.05b
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• pp.745-752
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• 1995

고연소도 액체금속로용 금속연료를 개발하고자 U-l0wt%Zr 합금중 Zr 원소 대신에 X(:Si, Ta, Nb, W, Mo) 원소를 첨가한 U-7wt%Zr-3wt%X(:Si, Ta, Nb, W, Mo) 합금을 제조하여 미세조직에 미치는 합금원소 첨가의 영향을 조사하였다. 그 결과 U-7 wt%Zr-3wt%Si 합금을 제외한 모든 U-7wt%Zr-3wt%X(:Ta, Nb, W, Mo) 합금은 Matrix에 있어서 Laminar Structure를 그대로 유지하였다. U-7wt%Zr-3wt%Si 함금을 제외한 모든 U-7wt%Zr-3wt%X(:Ta, Nb, W, Mo) 합금의 주요한 상은 U-l0wt% Zr 합금과 마찬가지로 $\alpha$-U 및 $\delta$-UZr$_2$ 상이었다. U-7wt%Zr-3wt%X(:Ta, Nb, W, Mo) 합금은 U-l0wt%Zr 합금에 비해 Lamina Thickness가 크게 감소되었다. 특히 U-7wt%Zr-3wt%Mo 합금의 경우에 있어서는 U-l0wt%Zr 합금에 비해 1/3배 정도까지 Lamina Thickness가 크게 감소하였다. 이와 같은 합금원소 첨가에 의한 Laminar Structure의 미세화는 액체금속로강 금속연료내 Fission Gas의 Inter-connected Path가 보다 더 잘 형성됨으로 인해 Fission Gas Bubble에 대한 방출속도를 크게 증가시켜서 궁극적으로는 Fission Gas Bubble에 의한 Swelling을 저감시킬 것으로 기대된다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05b
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• pp.165-170
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• 1997

Samples of extruded dispersions of 24 vol.% spherical U-2wt%Mo and U-10wt.%Mo powders in an aluminum matrix were annealed for over 2,000 hours at 40$0^{\circ}C$. No significant dimensional changes occurred in the U-1025.%Mo/aluminum dispersions. The U-2wt.%Mo/aluminum dispersion, however, increased in volume by 26% after 2,000 hours at 40$0^{\circ}C$. This large volume change is mainly due to the formation of voids and cracks resulting from nearly complete interdiffusion of U-Mo and aluminum. Interdiffusion between U-10wt.%Mo and aluminum was found to be minimal. The different diffusion behavior is primarily due to the fact that U-2wt.%Mo decomposes from an as-atomized metastable r-phase(bcc) solid solution into the equilibrium r-U and U$_2$Mo two-phase structure during the experiment, whereas U-10wt.%Mo retains the metastable r-phase structure after the 2,000 hours anneal and thereby displays superior thermal compatibility with aluminum compared to U-2wt.%Mo. In addition, the molybdenium supersaturated in U-10wt.%Mo particles inhibits the diffusion of aluminum atoms along the grain boundary into the particle. Also, the dissolution of only a few Mo atoms in UAL$_3$ retards the formation of the intermediate phase, as Mo atoms need to migrate from new intermetallic compounds to unreacted islands.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2011

Si-rich-layer-coated U-7 wt%Mo plates were prepared in order to evaluate the diffusion barrier performance of the Si-rich layer in U-Mo vs. Al interdiffusion. Pure Si powder was used for coating the U-Mo plates by annealing at $900^{\circ}C$ for 1 h under vacuum of approximately 1 Pa. Si-rich layers containing more than 60 at% of Si were formed on U-7 wt%Mo plates. Diffusion couple tests were conducted in a muffle furnace at $560-600^{\circ}C$ under vacuum using Si-rich-layer-coated U-Mo plates and pure Al plates. Diffusion couple tests using uncoated U-Mo plates and Al-(0, 2 or 5 wt%)Si plates were also conducted for comparison. Si-rich-layer coatings were more effective in suppressing the interaction during diffusion couple tests between coated U-Mo plate and Al, when compared with U-Mo vs. Al-Si diffusion couples, since only small amounts of Al in the coating could be found after the diffusion couple tests. Si-rich-layer-coated U-7wt%Mo particles were also prepared using the same technique for U-7 wt%Mo plates to observe the microsturctures of the coated particles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05b
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• pp.177-182
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• 1997

금속연료가 연소할 때 발생하는 Fission Gas는 주로 직경방향으로의 Swelling을 일으켜 낮은 연소도의 원인이 되어 왔다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 높은 연소도를 갖는 금속연료의 개발을 목적으로 Fission Gas가 Plenum으로 쉽게 방출하는 조직인 Laminar Structure를 갖는 합금의 설계를 연구하였다. 또한 조사 후의 조직안정성을 예측하기 위해 열처리 후의 미세조직의 변화를 관찰하여 조직안정성을 시험하였다. U-10wt.%Zr 합금 중 Zr 원소 대신에 2wt.% 및 3wt.%의 W 또는 Mo을 첨가한 합금을 제조하여 합금원소 첨가의 영향에 따른 미세조직의 변화를 조사하였다. 그 결과 모든 조성의 합금은 Matrix에 있어서 Laminar Structure를 나타내었다. 또한 U-10wt.%Zr에 비해 2wt.% 및 3wt.%W의 W 또는 Mo를 첨가한 합금의 lamina Thickness가 철면 미세해짐을 확인하였다. 특히 U-7wt.%Zr-3wt.%W의 경우는 U-10wt.Zr에 비해 Laminar Thickness가 1/2배까지 감소되었다. 합금원소(W, Mo) 첨가에 의한 Laminar Thickness의 감소는 Fission Gas의 Inter-connected Path가 보다 잘 형성되게 하여 Gas의 방출속도를 증가시켜 Swelling을 감소시킬 것으로 생각된다. 열처리한 금속연료의 미세조직을 비교한 결과를 보면 합금원소(W, Mo)를 첨가한 합금을 50$0^{\circ}C$에서 1000시간동안 열처리한 것을 U-Zr 2원계 합금을 열처리한 것과 비교했을 때 약 1/3배 정도의 Laminar Thickness를 유지하는 것으로 보아 합금원소를 첨가하면 조사 후의 조직안정성에도 크게 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.365-374
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• 2001

In order to examine the in-reactor performance of very-high-density dispersion fuels for high flux performance research reactors, U-l0wt.%Mo microplates containing centrifugally atomized powder were irradiated at low temperature. The U-l0wt.%Mo dispersion fuels show stable in- reactor irradiation behaviors even at high burn-up, similar to U$_3$Si$_2$ dispersion fuels. The atomized U-l0wt.%Mo fuel particles have a fine and a relatively uniform fission gas bubble size distribution. Moreover, only one of third of the area of the atomized fuel cross-sections at 70a1.% burn-up shows fission gas bubble-free zones, This appears to be the result of segregation into high Mo and low Mo.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.05b
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• pp.273-278
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• 1998

The phase stability of atomized U-10wt. ％Mo powder and the thermal compatibility of dispersed fuel meats at 40$0^{\circ}C$ and 50$0^{\circ}C$ have been characterized. Atomized U-10Mo powder has a good \ulcorner-U phase stability, and excellent thermal compatibility with aluminum matrix in a dispersion fuel. It is thought that the good phase stability is related to th large supersaturation of Mo atoms in the atomized particles. The reasons for the excellent thermal compatibility have been considered to be as follows. Before thermal decomposition of ${\gamma}$-U in particle, supersaturated Mo atoms at ${\gamma}$-U grain boundaries inhibit the diffusion of Al atoms. After thermal decomposition of ${\gamma}$-U into ${\gamma}$-U and U$_2$Mo, the intermetallic compound of U$_2$Mo seems to retard the penetration of Al atoms. The penetration mechanisms of aluminum atoms in the atomized particles are assumed be classified as (a) diffusion through the reacted layer between fuel particles and Al matrix leaving a kernel-like unreacted island and (b) diffusion along grain boundaries showing several unreacted islands and more reacted regions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.251-251
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• 1999

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.827-838
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• 2013

Interaction layer growth between U-Mo alloy fuel particles and Al in a dispersion fuel is a concern due to the volume expansion and other unfavorable irradiation behavior of the interaction product. To reduce interaction layer (IL) growth, a small amount of Si is added to the Al. As a result, IL growth is affected by the Si content in the Al matrix. In order to predict IL growth during fabrication and irradiation, empirical models were developed. For IL growth prediction during fabrication and any follow-on heating process before irradiation, out-of-pile heating test data were used to develop kinetic correlations. Two out-of-pile correlations, one for the pure Al matrix and the other for the Al matrix with Si addition, respectively, were developed, which are Arrhenius equations that include temperature and time. For IL growth predictions during irradiation, the out-of-pile correlations were modified to include a fission-rate term to consider fission enhanced diffusion, and multiplication factors to incorporate the Si addition effect and the effect of the Mo content. The in-pile correlation is applicable for a pure Al matrix and an Al matrix with the Si content up to 8 wt%, for fuel temperatures up to $200^{\circ}C$, and for Mo content in the range of 6 - 10wt%. In order to cover these ranges, in-pile data were included in modeling from various tests, such as the US RERTR-4, -5, -6, -7 and -9 tests and Korea's KOMO-4 test, that were designed to systematically examine the effects of the fission rate, temperature, Si content in Al matrix, and Mo content in U-Mo particles. A model converting the IL thickness to the IL volume fraction in the meat was also developed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.1044-1062
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• 2017

The construction project of the Kijang research reactor (KJRR), which is the second research reactor in Korea, has been launched. The KJRR was designed to use, for the first time, U-Mo fuel. Plate-type U-7 wt.% Mo/Al-5 wt.% Si, referred to as U-7Mo/Ale5Si, dispersion fuel with a uranium loading of $8.0gU/cm^3$, was selected to achieve higher fuel efficiency and performance than are possible when using $U_3Si_2/Al$ dispersion fuel. To qualify the U-Mo fuel in terms of plate geometry, the first miniplates [HANARO Miniplate (HAMP-1)], containing U-7Mo/Al-5Si dispersion fuel ($8gU/cm^3$), were fabricated at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and recently irradiated at HANARO. The PIE (Post-irradiation Examination) results of the HAMP-1 irradiation test were analyzed in depth in order to verify the safe in-pile performance of the U-7Mo/Al-5Si dispersion fuel under the KJRR irradiation conditions. Nondestructive analyses included visual inspection, gamma spectrometric mapping, and two-dimensional measurements of the plate thickness and oxide thickness. Destructive PIE work was also carried out, focusing on characterization of the microstructural behavior using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Electron probe microanalysis was also used to measure the elemental concentrations in the interaction layer formed between the U-Mo kernels and the matrix. A blistering threshold test and a bending test were performed on the irradiated HAMP-1 miniplates that were saved from the destructive tests. Swelling evaluation of the U-Mo fuel was also conducted using two methods: plate thickness measurement and meat thickness measurement.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2016.10a
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• pp.89-90
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• 2016