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  • Transmission electron micro...
    Miller, B D; Gan, J; Keiser, D D; Robinson, A B; Jue, J F; Madden, J W; Medvedev, P G

    Journal of nuclear materials, 03/2015, Letnik: 458, Številka: C
    Journal Article

    Transmission electron microscopy characterization of irradiated U-7 wt%Mo dispersion fuel were performed on various U-Mo fuel samples to understand the effect of irradiation parameters (fission density, fission rate, and temperature) on the self-organized fission-gas-bubble superlattice that forms in the irradiated U-Mo fuel. The bubble superlattice was seen to form a face centered cubic structure coherent with the host U-7 wt%Mo body-centered cubic structure. At a fission density between 3.0 and 4.5 x 10 super(21) fiss/cm super(3), the superlattice bubbles appear to have reached a saturation size with additional fission gas associated with increasing bumup predominately accumulating along grain boundaries. At a fission density of ~4.5 x 10 super(21) fiss/cm super(3), the U-7 wt%Mo microstructure starts to undergo grain subdivision and can no longer support the ordered bubble superlattice. The sub-divided fuel grains are less than 500 nm in diameter with what appears to be micron-size fission-gas bubbles present on the grain boundaries. Solid fission products typically decorate the inside surface of the micron-sized fission-gas bubbles. Residual superlattice bubbles are seen in areas where fuel grains remain micron sized. Potential mechanisms of the formation and collapse of the bubble superlattice are discussed.