Fuel Materials Summary

Material Science Volume 2 of 2
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FUEL MATERIALS DOE-HDBK-1017/2-93 Plant Materials The physical properties of the fuel material are primarily of interest in ensuring its integrity during the manufacturing process. Nevertheless they must be considered in assessments of the integrity of the core under operating conditions, or the conditions of hypothetical accidents. The physical and mechanical properties should also permit economical manufacturing. The fuel material should have a low coefficient of expansion. It is not possible to fabricate typical refractory ceramics to 100% of their theoretical density. Therefore, methods of controlling the porosity of the final product must be considered. The role of this initial porosity as sites for fission gas, as well as its effects on thermal conductivity and mechanical strength, is a significant factor in the design. Summary The important information in this chapter is summarized below. Fuel Materials Summary Radioactive materials suitable for fission by thermal neutrons and used as reactor fuel include: ²³³U and ²³⁵U ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴¹Pu Considerations in selecting fuel material are: High thermal conductivity so that high power can be attained without excessive fuel temperature gradients Resistance to radiation damage so that physical properties are not degraded Chemical stability with respect to coolant in case of cladding failure Physical and mechanical properties that permit economical fabrication MS-05 Page 10 Rev. 0

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