Micro-Raman analysis of the fuel-cladding interface in a high burnup PWR fuel rod
International audience; New insights on the fuel-cladding bonding layer in high burnup nuclear fuel were obtained using micro-Raman spectroscopy. A specimen was specifically prepared from a fuel rod which had been irradiated to an average burnup of 56 GWd.tU-1 in a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Both inner and outer corrosion scale regions were investigated. A 10-15 et956;m thick zirconia bonding layer between fuel and cladding materials which consisted of three distinct regions was observed. Close to the fuel, tetragonal, then monoclinic zirconia was identified as the main phases. Close to the bonding layer-cladding interface, peculiar Raman signals were observed. Similar signals were ob…
Study of the fuel/clad bonding of pressurized water reactors fuel rods
Durability and integrity of materials used in nuclear power plants is a continuous concern of the nuclear power plant owners and developers. During the fuel irradiation in pressurised water reactors (PWR), the whole fuel-clad assembly is subjected to several irradiation-induced modifications. In particular, the fuel element expansion concomitant to the cladding creeping, leads to the contacting of both materials, allowing the oxidation of the inner side of the clad, locally at first, then tending to affect the overall cladding inner surface. At high burnup, a bonding of the fuel periphery with the metallic cladding can be observed, forming the fuel-clad bonding phenomenon, which conditions …
NaCl induced corrosion of Ti-6Al-4V alloy at high temperature
International audience; This paper presents a study on the Ti-6Al-4V behaviour in presence of NaCl deposit under dry and moistair environments at 560◦C. The results evidence a detrimental effect of the NaCl deposit with a synergisticeffect in presence of moist air environment. Treatments under dry and moist air with NaCl deposit for600 h, lead respectively to weight gains per unit area 5 and 15 times higher than observed under classicoxidation in dry air. Enhancement of the corrosion phenomenon is attributed to the presence of gaseousmetal chlorides, leading to the establishment of an active corrosion process.