| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Microstructural, Mechanical, and Chemical Behavior of Solid Nuclear Fuel and Fuel-Cladding Interface II
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| Presentation Title |
Assessing the Microhardness of Medium and High Burnup U-Mo Dispersion Fuel and Matrix Al Using Nanoindentation on FIB-Prepared Microcubes |
| Author(s) |
Fei Teng, Daniele Salvato, Jeffery Giglio, Adam Robinson, James Cole |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Fei Teng |
| Abstract Scope |
The measurement of mechanical properties in U-Mo dispersion fuel is critical for evaluating the mechanical degradation and structural integrity after neutron irradiation. However, high radioactivity makes regular mechanical testing very difficult. At Idaho National Laboratory, we developed a method to assess the microhardness of microcubes prepared by plasma FIB. The size effect was addressed in fresh, medium, and high burnup U-Mo dispersion fuels. Exponential decay functions were calculated to describe the impact of size effect on microhardness in fresh fuel, medium, and high burnup conditions. Hardness and reduced modulus maps were measured in U-Mo fuel kernel and Al matrix regions. The results show that the size effect in the Al matrix starts to cease when the load exceeds 20mN. The irradiation hardening effects of the Al matrix and U-Mo fuel kernel at medium and high burnup level were calculated after correcting the size effect. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Mechanical Properties, |