Microstructural characterization of annealed U-20Pu-10Zr-3.86Pd and U-20Pu-10Zr-3.86Pd-4.3Ln

Palladium is being investigated as a potential additive to metallic fuel to bind fission product lanthanides, with the goal of reducing or preventing fuel-cladding chemical interactions (FCCI). A primary cause of FCCI is the lanthanide fission products moving to the fuel periphery and interacting with the cladding. This interaction will lead to wastage of the cladding and eventually to a cladding breach. The current study is the microstructural characterization of annealed U-20Pu-10Zr-3.86Pd and U-20Pu-10Zr-3.86Pd-4.3Ln in wt. %, where Ln = 53Nd-25Ce-16Pr-6La, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In both alloys, the matrix is comprised of ζ-U _0.4Pu _0.6 and δ-(U,Pu)Zr ₂ . Based on the matrix compositions, modifications to the room temperature extrapolated U-Pu-Zr ternary phase diagram are suggested. In U-20Pu-10Zr-3.86Pd, there is very little δ phase, due to formation of PdZr ₂. In U-20Pu-10Zr-3.86Pd-4.3Ln, a lanthanide-rich phase is present, although it does not have the crystal structure for 53Nd-25Ce-16Pr-6La. This phase cannot be identified based on known compounds. (Ln,Pu)Pd is the primary lanthanide phase, with Pu substituting into the crystal structure in place of Nd.