Detection of gas-permeable fuel particles for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

• Published in: Carbon (New York) 1980, Vol.18 (2), p.125-129
• Main Authors: Thiele, B.A., Stinton, D.P., Costanzo, D.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/0008-6223(80)90020-2

Fuel for High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGR) consists of uranium oxide-carbide and thoria microspheres coated with layers of pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide. The pyrolytic carbon coatings must be gastight to perform properly during irradiation. Therefore, particles must be carefully characterized to determine the number of defective particles (i.e. bare kernels, and cracked or permeable coatings). Although techniques are available to determine the number of bare kernels or cracked coatings, no reliable technique has been available to measure coating permeability. This work describes a technique recently developed to determine whether coatings for a batch of particles are gaslight or permeable. Although most of this study was performed on Biso-coated particles, the technique applies equally well to Triso-coated particles. About 150 randomly selected Biso-particle batches were studied in this work. These batches were first subjected to an 18-hr chlorination at 1500°C, and the volatile thorium tetrachloride released through cracked or very permeable coatings was measured versus chlorination time. Chlorinated batches were also radiographed to detect any thorium that had migrated from the kernel into the coatings. From this work a technique was developed to determine coating permeability. This technique consists of an 18-hr chlorination of multiple samples without measurement of the heavy metal released. Each batch is then radiographed and the heavy metal diffusion within each particle is examined. From this examination one can determine if a particle batch is permeable, slightly permeable, or gastight.