Thermal conductivity evaluation of Am-doped oxide fuels

Yokoyama, Keisuke; Watanabe, Masashi; Onishi, Takashi; Yano, Yasuhide; Tokoro, Daishiro*; Sugata, Hiromasa*; Kato, Masato*

JAEA-Research 2025-002, 18 Pages, 2025/05

JAEA-Research-2025-002.pdf:1.73MB

It is advocated as a development target of fast reactors (FRs) to allow for the of use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuels containing minor actinide (MA) separated and recovered from spent fuels with the aim of reducing the volume and toxicity of high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear reactors. In the development of MAMOX fuels, it is important behavior to understand the thermal properties such as thermal conductivity for fuel design and analysis of the irradiation. However, there are only a few reports on the thermal properties of MA-MOX fuels, and neither the effects of MA contents nor of oxygen non-stoichiometry in MOX fuels on their thermal conductivities have been fully understood. In this study, the thermal conductivities of MOX fuels with up to 15% Am content were measured at near-stoichiometric composition and the relationship between thermal conductivity and Am content was evaluated. Moreover, the thermal conductivities of Am-doped UO fuels were also measured and evaluated by comparison with Am-MOX to evaluate the effect of Am content. The fuel samples used in this study were three types of MOX with a Pu content of 30% and different Am contents (5%, 10%, and 15%), and UO containing 15% Am. The thermal conductivities of specimens were calculated from the thermal diffusivities measured by the laser flash method, the density of the specimens and, the heat capacity at constant pressure. The oxygen partial pressure during the measurement was controlled at that of the targeted near-stoichiometric composition. The thermal conductivities of all specimens exhibited a decline with increasing temperature and Am content, with a particularly pronounced reduction observed below 1,173 K. The results of the classical phonon scattering model analysis of the measured thermal conductivities showed that the effect of lattice strain due to the Am addition was significant on the thermal resistivity change, and the effect was comparable for both MOX and UO.

Tensile properties of irradiated modified 316 stainless steel (PNC316) at slow strain rates

Yano, Yasuhide; Miyazawa, Takeshi; Tanno, Takashi; Akasaka, Naoaki; Yoshitake, Tsunemitsu; Kaito, Takeji; Otsuka, Satoshi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 8 Pages, 2025/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2475164

The effects of strain rate on tensile properties of irradiated modified 316 stainless steel (PNC316) claddings were investigated. PNC316 claddings were irradiated at the experimental fast reactor Joyo using CRT402 control rod assembly at 400C up to 25 dpa. Post-irradiation ring tensile tests were carried out at strain rates of 3.310, 3.310 and 3.310 s at a test temperature of 350C. The results showed no obvious dependence of all strain rates on tensile properties, although a slight decrease in total elongation was observed at the slowest strain rate of 3.310 s. In addition, only a part of fracture surface at the slowest strain rate showed intergranular type region in the inner surface area, although the grain boundary separation occurred on inner surfaces near the fracture region at all strain rates. It is suggested that presence of a high content of helium near the inner surfaces would be related to the fracture behavior.

Oxide particles in oxide dispersion strengthened steel neutron-irradiated up to 158 dpa at Joyo

Toyama, Takeshi*; Tanno, Takashi; Yano, Yasuhide; Inoue, Koji*; Nagai, Yasuyoshi*; Otsuka, Satoshi; Miyazawa, Takeshi; Mitsuhara, Masatoshi*; Nakashima, Hideharu*; Onuma, Masato*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 599, p.155252_1 - 155252_14, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2024.155252

We investigated the stability of oxide nano particles in oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steel, which is a promising candidate material for next-generation reactors, under neutron irradiation at high temperature to high doses. MA957, a 14Cr-ODS steel, was irradiated with Joyo in Japan Atomic Energy Agency under irradiation conditions of 130 dpa at 502C, 154 dpa at 589C, and 158 dpa at 709C. Three-dimensional atom probe (3D-AP) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation were performed to characterize the oxide particles in the ODS steels. A high number density of Y-Ti-O particle was observed in the unirradiated and irradiated samples. Almost no change in the morphology of the oxide particles, i.e. average diameter, number density, and chemical composition, has been observed in the samples irradiated to 130 dpa at 502C and to 154 dpa at 589C. A slight decrease in number density was observed in the sample irradiated to 158 dpa at 709CC. The hardness of any of the irradiated samples was almost unchanged from that of the unirradiated sample. It was revealed that the oxide particles existed stable, and the strength of the material was sufficiently maintained even after being neutron irradiated to high dose of 160 dpa at high temperature up to 700C. A part of this study includes the results of MEXT Innovative Nuclear Research and Development Program Grant Number JPMXD0219214482.

Creep deformation and rupture behavior of 9Cr-ODS steel cladding tube at high temperatures from 700C to 1000C

Imagawa, Yuya; Hashidate, Ryuta; Miyazawa, Takeshi; Onizawa, Takashi; Otsuka, Satoshi; Yano, Yasuhide; Tanno, Takashi; Kaito, Takeji; Onuma, Masato*; Mitsuhara, Masatoshi*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(6), p.762 - 777, 2024/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2269178

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been developing 9Cr-oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel as a fuel cladding material for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). Previous studies have formulated the creep rupture equation for 650C to 850C. However, little data have been obtained above 850C, and no equation has been formulated. This study conducted creep tests to evaluate creep strength at 700C to 1000C. Two creep test methods, the internal pressure and ring creep tests under development, were used, and the validation of the ring creep test method was conducted. The results showed that 9Cr-ODS steel undergoes almost no strength change due to the matrix's phase transformation, and a single equation can express a creep rupture strength from 700C to 1000C. In validating the ring creep test method, analysis clarified the effect of stress concentration on the specimen. Plastic deformation occurs at high initial stress and may lead to early rupture. The results will be essential for future creep testing and evaluation of neutron-irradiated 9Cr-ODS steel.

Tensile properties of modified 316 stainless steel (PNC316) after neutron irradiation over 100 dpa

Yano, Yasuhide; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Tanno, Takashi; Yoshitake, Tsunemitsu; Otsuka, Satoshi; Kaito, Takeji

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(4), p.521 - 529, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2243943

The effects of fast neutron irradiation on tensile properties of modified 316 stainless steel (PNC316) claddings and wrappers for fast reactors were investigated. PNC316 claddings and wrappers were irradiated in the experimental fast reactor Joyo at irradiation temperatures between 400 and 735 C to fast neutron doses ranging from 21 to 125 dpa. The post-irradiation tensile tests were carried out at room and irradiation temperatures. Elongations of PNC316 measured by the tensile tests were maintained at an engineering level, although the material incurred significant irradiation hardening and softening. The maximum swelling of PNC316 wrappers was about 2.5 vol.% at irradiation temperature between 400 and 500C up to 110 dpa. Japanese 20% cold-worked austenitic steels, PNC316 and 15Cr-20Ni, had sufficient ductility and work-hardenability even after above 10 vol.% swelling, while they had very weak plastic instabilities.

High temperature mechanical properties and microstructure in 9Cr or 12Cr oxide dispersion strengthened steels

Mitsuhara, Masatoshi*; Kurino, Koichi*; Yano, Yasuhide; Otsuka, Satoshi; Toyama, Takeshi*; Onuma, Masato*; Nakashima, Hideharu*

Tetsu To Hagane, 109(3), p.189 - 200, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.2355/tetsutohagane.TETSU-2022-080

Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) ferritic steel, a candidate material for fast reactor fuel cladding, has low thermal expansion, good thermal conductivity, and excellent resistance to irradiation damage and high temperature strength. The origin of the excellent high-temperature strength lies in the dispersion of fine oxides. In this study, creep tests at 700 or 750C, which are close to the operating temperatures of fast reactors, and high-temperature tensile tests at 900 to 1350 C, which simulate accident conditions, were conducted on 9Cr ODS ferritic steels, M11 and MP23, and 12Cr ODS ferritic steel, F14, to confirm the growth behavior of oxides. In the M11 and F14 creep test samples, there was little oxide growth or decrease in number density from the initial state, indicating that dispersion strengthening by oxides was effective during deformation. After creep deformation of F14, the development of dislocation substructures such as dislocation walls and subgrain boundaries was hardly observed, and mobile dislocations were homogeneously distributed in the grains. The dislocation density increased with increasing stress during the creep test. In the high-temperature ring tensile tests of MP23 and F14, the strength of both steels decreased at higher temperatures. In MP23, elongation decreased with increasing test temperature from 900 to 1100 C, but increased at 1200 C, decreased drastically at 1250 C, and increased again at 1300 C. In F14, elongation decreased with increasing temperature. It was inferred that the formation of the -ferrite phase was responsible for this complex change in mechanical properties of MP23 from 1200 to 1300 C.

Development and issues of fast reactor core materials

Kaito, Takeji; Otsuka, Satoshi; Yano, Yasuhide; Tanno, Takashi

Nuclear Materials Letters (Internet), p.29 - 43, 2022/12

no abstracts in English

Tensile properties on dissimilar welds between 11Cr-ferritic/martensitic steel and 316 stainless steel after thermal aging

Yano, Yasuhide; Tanno, Takashi; Oka, Hiroshi; Otsuka, Satoshi; Kaito, Takeji

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 555, p.153105_1 - 153105_8, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153105

The aim of this study was to evaluate the tensile properties and microstructures of dissimilar welds between 11Cr-ferritic/martensitic steel and 316 stainless steel after thermal aging at temperatures between 400 and 600C up to 30,000 h. Characterization of microstructure was carried out by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Microstructural analysis showed that the microstructure in the weld metals consisted of lath martensite containing a small amount of residual austenite. Thermal aging hardening of WMs occurred at 400 and 450C due to the effects of both a-a' phase separation and G-phase precipitation. However, there was no significant change in the total elongation, and fracture surfaces indicated that very fine dimpled rupture was predominant rather than the cleavage rupture. It was suggested that lath martensite phases enhanced the tensile strength due to phase separation, while residual austenite played a role in keeping elongation as a soft phase.

Effects of thermal aging on the mechanical properties of FeCrAl-ODS alloy claddings

Yano, Yasuhide; Tanno, Takashi; Otsuka, Satoshi; Kaito, Takeji; Ukai, Shigeharu*

Materials Transactions, 62(8), p.1239 - 1246, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MT-M2021057

The FeCrAl-ODS alloy claddings were manufactured and Vickers hardness, ring tensile tests and TEM observations of these claddings were performed to investigate the effects of thermal aging at 450 C for 5,000 and 15,000 h. The age-hardening of all FeCrAl-ODS alloy cladding was found. In addition, the significant increase in tensile strength was accompanied by much larger loss of ductility. It was suggested that this age-hardening behavior was attributed to the (Ti, Al)-enriched phase (' phase) and the ' phase precipitates (content of Al is 7 wt%). In comparison with FeCrAl-ODS alloys with almost same chemical compositions, there was significant age-hardening in both alloys. However, the extrusion bar with no-recrystallized structures was keeping good ductility. It was suggested that this different behavior of reduction ductility was attributed to the effects of grain boundaries, dislocation densities and specimen preparation direction.

Solid-solution strengthening by Al and Cr in FeCrAl oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloys

Ukai, Shigeharu*; Yano, Yasuhide; Inoue, Toshihiko; Sowa, Takashi*

Materials Science & Engineering A, 812, p.141076_1 - 141076_11, 2021/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2021.141076

FeCrAl oxide dispersion strengthened alloys are promising materials for accident tolerant fuels for light water reactors (LWRs). In these alloys, Al and Cr are key elements with important synergistic effects: enhancement of the formation of oxidation-resistant AlO phase by Cr addition and suppression of the formation of the embrittling Cr-rich ' phase by Al addition. The solid-solution strengthening resulting from Al and Cr co-addition was investigated in this study. The solid-solution strengthening resulting from Al and Cr co-addition was investigated in this study. The Al and Cr contents were systematically varied from 9-16 at.% and 10-17 at.%, respectively, and tensile tests were conducted at 298 K, 573 K and 973 K in the as-annealed condition. The solid solution strengthening increased linearly, 20 MPa per 1 at.% Al and 5 MPa per 1 at.% Cr, at the typical LWR operational temperature of 573 K. The conventional Fleischer-Friedel and Labusch theories cannot explain this level of solid-solution strengthening. It was shown that Suzuki's double kink theory for screw dislocations reasonably predicts the solid solution strengthening by Al and Cr as well as the inverse dependency on the absolute temperature and linear dependency on the Al and Cr content.