| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramic Materials for Nuclear Energy Research and Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Improving Uranium Mononitride Behaviour using Uranium Diboride Addition |
| Author(s) |
Joel Turner, Tim Abram, Qusai Mistarihi, James Buckley |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Joel Turner |
| Abstract Scope |
Uranium nitride remains a promising fuel material for commercial reactor systems, due to its high thermal conductivity and uranium loading. Compared to uranium dioxide, UN can have reduced fuel centreline temperatures and lower enrichment costs, enabling more expensive cladding solutions to be utilised and introducing further accident tolerance. A key challenge for UN deployment in light water reactors is the UN-steam reaction, in which UN rapidly reacts to form oxide powder below expected operating temperatures. A potential solution to this may be the addition of uranium diboride, which has been seen to increase the onset temperature of the reaction, while also potentially improving thermal conductivity and providing a required burnable poison. Data on UN-UB2 composites will be reported, including synthesis and fabrication, pellet characterisation, oxidation performance and thermal properties. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Ceramics, Nuclear Materials, Composites |