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Chemical Compatibility at High Temperature between the Carbide Fuel UC or (U,Pu)C and SiC Cladding for the Gas cooled Fast Reactor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Alexandre Berche ,
Thierry Alpettaz ,
Sylvie Chatain ,
Stephane Gossé ,
Christine Guéneau  and
Cyril Rado
Alexandre Berche
Affiliation:
alexandre.berche@cea.fr, CEA, DPC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Thierry Alpettaz
Affiliation:
thierry.alpettaz@cea.fr, CEA, DPC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Sylvie Chatain
Affiliation:
sylvie.chatain@cea.fr, CEA, DPC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Stephane Gossé
Affiliation:
stephane.gosse@cea.fr
Christine Guéneau
Affiliation:
christine.gueneau@cea.fr, United States
Cyril Rado
Affiliation:
cyril.rado@cea.fr, CEA, DTEC, Bagnols sur Cèze, France
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Abstract

The chemical compatibility at high temperature between the fuel kernel (U,Pu)C and SiC cladding, the reference materials for the GFR reactor, is studied. For that purpose, a thermodynamic database on the U-Pu-C-Si system was developed with the Calphad method to calculate the phase diagrams. Differential thermal analysis experiments were performed to measure phase transition temperatures in Si-U and C-Si-U systems. According to the calculated isopleth section between the hyperstoichiometric uranium carbide UC1.02 and SiC, the materials shall not react below 2056 K, the temperature at which a liquid phase shall form. These calculations are in good agreement with two chemical compatibility tests performed at 1873 K and 2073 K between the materials. Calculations were also performed to study the chemical interaction between the mixed carbide (U,Pu)C1.04 and SiC. The presence of plutonium in the fuel kernel lowers the liquid formation temperature of 167 K.

Keywords

nuclear materialsphase equilibriaactinide
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1264: Symposia Z/BB – Basic Actinide Science and Materials for Nuclear Applications , 2010 , 1264-Z04-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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