Open AccessOxidation of ZPPR fuel corrosion products : National Spent Nuclear Fuel program FY 1999 final report.
Author(s) -
T. C. Totemeier
Publication year - 1999
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/816758
Subject(s) - hydride , isothermal process , gravimetric analysis , uranium , analytical chemistry (journal) , corrosion , ignition system , oxygen , metal , chemistry , materials science , metallurgy , environmental chemistry , thermodynamics , physics , organic chemistry
The oxidation behavior of hydride-bearing corrosion products from uranium metal ZPPR fuel plates was studied in Ar-O{sub 2}, Ar-H{sub 2}O, Ar-O{sub 2}-H{sub 2}O, dry air, and moist air environments. Both isothermal and burning curve tests in the different environments were performed using a thermo-gravimetric analyzer. The effect of pre-oxidation in each environment on subsequent ignition temperature was investigated by performing burning curve tests on samples after isothermal oxidation. Low-temperature oxidation rates in Ar-O{sub 2} and dry air environments were identical. Oxidation rates in moist environments were slightly higher, but the difference was not statistically significant at 95% confidence. Oxygen contamination was suspected to have lowered rates measured in the Ar-H{sub 2}O environment. ignition temperatures measured in air were 10-15 C higher than those measured in Ar-20% O{sub 2}; the ignition temperatures of samples pre-oxidized in moist gas environments appeared to be slightly lower than those of unreacted samples at equivalent hydride fractions. Burning rates in all environments were linearly dependent on hydride surface area for surface areas less than 200 cm{sup 2}. Burning rates were constant at higher surface areas