Fission product release and microstructure changes of irradiated MOX fuel at high temperatures

• Published in: Journal of nuclear materials 2013-11, Vol.442 (1-3), p.330-340
• Main Authors: Colle, J.-Y., Hiernaut, J.-P., Wiss, T., Beneš, O., Thiele, H., Papaioannou, D., Rondinella, V.V., Sasahara, A., Sonoda, T., Konings, R.J.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Controled nuclear fusion plants; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fission nuclear power plants; Fuels; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Nuclear fuels; Preparation and processing of nuclear fuels
• ISSN: 0022-3115; 1873-4820
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.09.022

Samples of irradiated MOX fuel of 44.5GWd/tHM mean burn-up were prepared by core drilling at three different radial positions of a fuel pellet. They were subsequently heated in a Knudsen effusion mass spectrometer up to complete vaporisation of the sample (∼2600K) and the release of fission gas (krypton and xenon) as well as helium was measured. Scanning electron microscopy was used in parallel to investigate the evolution of the microstructure of a sample heated under the same condition up to given key temperatures as determined from the gas release profiles. A clear initial difference for fission gas release and microstructure was observed as a function of the radial position of the samples and therefore of irradiation temperature. A good correlation between the microstructure evolution and the gas release peaks could be established as a function of the temperature of irradiation and (laboratory) heating.