Relationship between changes in the crystal lattice strain and thermal conductivity of high burnup UO pellets

Amaya, Masaki  ; Nakamura, Jinichi ; Fuketa, Toyoshi; Kosaka, Yuji*

Two kinds of disk-shaped UO samples were irradiated in a test reactor up to about 60 and 130 GWd/t, respectively. The microstructures of the samples were investigated by means of optical microscopy, SEM/EPMA and micro-X-ray diffractometry. Thermal diffusivities of the irradiated samples were also measured and their thermal conductivities were evaluated. The thermal conductivity measurement results suggest that the amount of accumulated irradiation-induced defects depends on the irradiation condition of each sample. From the comparison of the changes in the lattice parameter and strain energy density before and after the thermal diffusivity measurements, it is likely that the thermal conductivity recovery in the temperature region from 1200 to 1500 K is related to the migration of dislocation.