Evaporation of ruthenium from simulated fission-produced alloy precipitates in a nuclear fuel

Liu, J.  ; Miyahara, Naoya; Miwa, Shuhei  ; Takano, Masahide ; Hidaka, Akihide   ; Osaka, Masahiko  

To evaluate the effect of each constituent element on the evaporation rate of ruthenium (Ru) from fission-produced alloy precipitates, the oxidation and evaporation behaviors of metallic Ru, molybdenum (Mo), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh) and Mo-Ru-Pd-Rh alloy powders were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis under oxidizing atmospheres from 1473 to 1723 K. The findings led to the following conclusions: (1) The quick oxidation of Mo into condensed Mo oxides can effectively suppress the oxidation and evaporation of Ru in alloy powders; (2) After the complete evaporation of Mo, the evaporation loss rate of Ru would be directly influenced by the Ru activity in the Ru-Pd-Rh alloys, which is determined by the composition of alloys.