Decontamination and solidification treatment on spent liquid scintillation cocktail

Watanabe, So; Takahatake, Yoko; Ogi, Hiromichi*; Osugi, Takeshi; Taniguchi, Takumi; Sato, Junya; Arai, Tsuyoshi*; Kajinami, Akihiko*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 585, p.154610_1 - 154610_6, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154610

Alloy design and characterization of a recrystallized FeCrAl-ODS cladding for accident-tolerant BWR fuels; An Overview of research activity in Japan

Ukai, Shigeharu; Sakamoto, Kan*; Otsuka, Satoshi; Yamashita, Shinichiro; Kimura, Akihiko*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 583, p.154508_1 - 154508_24, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154508

Oxygen potential of neodymium-doped UPuAmO uranium-plutonium-americium mixed oxides at 1573, 1773, and 1873 K

Vauchy, R.; Sunaoshi, Takeo*; Hirooka, Shun; Nakamichi, Shinya; Murakami, Tatsutoshi; Kato, Masato

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 580, p.154416_1 - 154416_11, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154416

Investigation of the oxidation behavior of Zircaloy-4 cladding in a mixture of air and steam

Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Ishijima, Yasuhiro; Kondo, Keietsu; Fujimura, Yuki; Kaji, Yoshiyuki

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 575, p.154209_1 - 154209_19, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.154209

Previous studies had shown that in certain conditions, the rate of oxidation of zirconium (Zr) based alloy fuel cladding is higher in air-steam mixtures than in dry air. In severe accidents in the spent fuel pool and in other air ingress accidents in nuclear power plants, the cladding is likely to be oxidized in an air-steam mixture, which makes it crucial to have an in-depth understanding of the nature of oxidation and its kinetics in that environment. Oxidation tests were conducted at 800C on Zircaloy-4 specimens in a mix of (air+steam) with various component ratios. Oxidation kinetics, details of the oxide layer, and hydrogen pick-up in the specimen were studied to investigate the mechanism of oxidation in each of these sets of conditions. Zirconium nitride precipitation in the oxide layer during the initial stages of the pre-breakaway oxidation stage and the widespread porous oxide growth on the cladding surface in the latter post-BA oxidation stage are related to the oxidation mechanism in the air-steam mixture. The differences in the mechanism of oxidation of the cladding in dry air and air-steam mixtures are discussed based on the experimental results.

Interaction between an edge dislocation and faceted voids in body-centered cubic Fe

Yabuuchi, Kiyohiro*; Suzudo, Tomoaki

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 574, p.154161_1 - 154161_6, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.154161

In nuclear materials, irradiation defects cause degradation of mechanical properties. In these materials, the relationship between dislocations and voids is particularly important for mechanical strength. Although only spherical voids have been studied in the past, this study focuses on faceted voids, which are observed simultaneously with spherical voids. In the current study, molecular dynamics was used to analyze the effect of faceted voids in the irradiation hardening of pure iron. Specifically, we clarified the difference in obstacle strength and interaction processes between spherical voids and faceted voids, and that even faceted voids show differences in interaction depending on their crystallographic arrangement with dislocations.

Effect of nitrogen concentration on creep strength and microstructure of 9Cr-ODS ferritic/martensitic steel

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

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 572, p.154032_1 - 154032_8, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.154032

9Cr oxide dispersion strengthened steels with slightly different nitrogen concentrations (0.0034 - 0.029 wt%) were prepared and their creep property at 973 K was investigated with microstructural characterization before and after the creep test. The creep strength decreased significantly as the nitrogen concentration increased. Microstructural observation revealed that, in the higher nitrogen concentration specimen, coarse Y-rich inclusions were found along the boundary between transformed ferrite region and residual ferrite region. The solubility difference of nitrogen in and phase would induce the localized increment of nitrogen concentration in the boundary region during the austenitizing process, resulting in the thermodynamic destabilization and subsequent coarsening of the dispersed oxide particles. The rows of creep voids were found near the rupture part of the crept specimen, suggesting that the coarse inclusions were the starting point of creep void formation and the subsequent premature fracture.

Structural change by phosphorus addition to borosilicate glass containing simulated waste components

Okamoto, Yoshihiro; Shiwaku, Hideaki; Shimamura, Keisuke*; Kobayashi, Hidekazu; Nagai, Takayuki; Inose, Takehiko*; Sato, Seiichi*; Hatakeyama, Kiyoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 570, p.153962_1 - 153962_13, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153962

Simulated nuclear waste glass samples containing phosphorus, which increase the solubility of molybdenum, were prepared and analyzed using synchrotron X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) analysis for some constituent elements and Raman spectroscopic analysis of their complex structure. Changes in local structure and chemical state due to different phosphorus additions and waste loading rates were systematically studied. Consequently, no crystalline phase due to the molybdate compound was observed even at a maximum waste content of 30 wt% (corresponding to 1.87 mol% MoO). Oxidation proceeded when the waste-loading rate was increased, whereas the reduction proceeded when phosphorus was added. In some cases, the effects of oxidation and reduction were offset. The local structure around specific elements can be classified as follows; Zn that is affected mainly by the waste-loading rate, Ce that is affected by both the waste-loading rate and phosphorus addition, and Zr element that is not affected by either of them. From the comparison between the analytical results of Mo and other elements, it was considered that the added phosphorus exists as a free PO structural unit and may deprive the alkali metal coordinated to the molybdate ion.

Study on the relation between the crystal structure and thermal stability of FeUO and CrUO

Akiyama, Daisuke*; Kusaka, Ryoji; Kumagai, Yuta; Nakada, Masami; Watanabe, Masayuki; Okamoto, Yoshihiro; Nagai, Takayuki; Sato, Nobuaki*; Kirishima, Akira*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 568, p.153847_1 - 153847_10, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153847

FeUO, CrUO, and FeCrUO are monouranates containing pentavalent U. Even though these compounds have similar crystal structures, their formation conditions and thermal stability are significantly different. To determine the factors causing the difference in thermal stability between FeUO and CrUO, their crystal structures were evaluated in detail. A Raman band was observed at 700 cm in all the samples. This Raman band was derived from the stretching vibration of the O-U-O axis band, indicating that FeCrUO was composed of a uranyl-like structure in its lattice regardless of its "x"' value. Mssbauer measurements indicated that the Fe in FeUO and FeCrUO were trivalent. Furthermore, FeCrUO lost its symmetry around Fe with increasing electron densities around Fe, as the abundance of Cr increased. These results suggested no significant structural differences between FeUO and CrUO. Thermogravimetric measurements for UO, FeUO, and CrUO showed that the temperature at which FeUO decomposed under an oxidizing condition (approximately 800 C) was significantly lower than the temperature at which the decomposition of CrUO started (approximately 1250 C). Based on these results, we concluded that the decomposition of FeUO was triggered by an "in-crystal" redox reaction, i.e., Fe U Fe U, which would not occur in the CrUO lattice because Cr could never be reduced under the investigated condition. Finally, the existence of Cr in FexCrUO effectively suppressed the decomposition of the FeCrUO crystal, even at a very low Cr content.

Structure, stability, and actinide leaching of simulated nuclear fuel debris synthesized from UO, Zr, and stainless-steel

Kirishima, Akira*; Akiyama, Daisuke*; Kumagai, Yuta; Kusaka, Ryoji; Nakada, Masami; Watanabe, Masayuki; Sasaki, Takayuki*; Sato, Nobuaki*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 567, p.153842_1 - 153842_15, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153842

To understand the chemical structure and stability of nuclear fuel debris consisting of UO, Zr, and Stainless Steel (SUS) generated by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan in 2011, simulated debris of the UO-SUS-Zr system and other fundamental component systems were synthesized and characterized. The simulated debris were synthesized by heat treatment for 1 to 12 h at 1600C, in inert (Ar) or oxidative (Ar + 2% O) atmospheres. Np and Am tracers were doped for the leaching tests of these elements and U from the simulated debris. The characterization of the simulated debris was conducted by XRD, SEM-EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and Mssbauer spectroscopy, which provided the major uranium phase of the UO -SUS-Zr debris was the solid solution of UO (s.s.) with Zr(IV) and Fe(II) regardless of the treatment atmosphere. The long-term immersion test of the simulated debris in pure water and that in seawater revealed the macro scale crystal structure of the simulated debris was chemically very stable in the wet condition for a year or more. Furthermore, the leaching test results showed that the actinide leaching ratios of U, Np, Am from the UO-SUS-Zr debris were very limited and less than 0.08 % for all the experiments in this study.

Speciation on the reaction of uranium and zirconium oxides treated under oxidizing and reducing atmospheres

Uehara, Akihiro*; Akiyama, Daisuke*; Ikeda, Atsushi; Numako, Chiya*; Terada, Yasuko*; Nitta, Kiyofumi*; Ina, Toshiaki*; Takeda-Homma, Shino*; Kirishima, Akira*; Sato, Nobuaki*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 559, p.153422_1 - 153422_11, 2022/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153422