Enhancing Hydrothermal Corrosion Resistance of Advanced Technology Nuclear Fuels Through Addition of Secondary Constituents

Uranium mononitride (UN) remains an attractive alternative fuel form for light water (LWR) and advanced technology nuclear reactors due to its high uranium density, melting point, thermal conductivity, and performance under irradiation, as compared to the benchmark uranium dioxide fuel (UO­2). UN is prone to oxidation and pulverization under exposure to water or steam, similar to conditions experienced during a cladding failure or accident scenario. This oxidation behavior has limited UN’s consideration for use in LWRs. An investigation of how the addition of various metallic constituents to the UN microstructure affects its corrosion degradation behavior will be presented