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Thermal Simulation of In‐Reactor Microstructures in ThO 2 ‐UO 2
Author(s) -
KERR JOHN M.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1967.tb15159.x
Subject(s) - equiaxed crystals , microstructure , materials science , thermal conductivity , thermal , nuclear fuel , nuclear engineering , grain size , composite material , thermodynamics , physics , engineering
A device was built to provide the capability for out‐reactor simulation of the microstructures seen in irradiated fuel. Out‐reactor simulation of nuclear heating makes possible the precise measurement of temperature gradients in the fuel and provides data for correlating microstructural alterations with temperature. The simulation apparatus was designed to produce controlled thermal gradients sufficient to produce both equiaxed and columnar grain growth in the specimens. Provision was made for calorimetric measurements from which thermal conductance could be determined. Micro‐structural alterations in UO 2 and ThO 2 ‐UO 2 materials were achieved, and thermal conductivity data were recorded. Microstructural alterations in the ThO 2 ‐10 wt% UO 2 specimens were similar to those that other investigators have observed in UO 2 at lower temperatures.