High temperature nanoindentation of (U,Ce)O compounds

Frazer, D.*; Saleh, T. A.*; Matsumoto, Taku; Hirooka, Shun; Kato, Masato; McClellan, K.*; White, J. T.*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 423, p.113136_1 - 113136_7, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2024.113136

Nanoindentation based techniques can be employed on minute volumes of material to measure mechanical properties, including Young's modulus, hardness, and creep stress exponents. In this study, (U,Ce)O solid solutions samples are used to develop elevated temperature nanoindentation and nanoindentation creep testing methods for use on mixed oxide fuels. Nanoindentation testing was performed on 3 separate (Ux-1,Cex)O compounds ranging from x equals 0.1 to 0.3 at up to 800 C: their Young's modulus, hardness, and creep stress exponents were evaluated. The Young's modulus decreases in the expected linear manner while the hardness decreases in the expected exponential manner. The nanoindentation creep experiments at 800 C give stress exponent values, n=4.7-6.9, that suggests dislocation motion as the deformation mechanism.

Toward long-term storage of nuclear materials in MOX fuels fabrication facility

Hirooka, Shun; Nakamichi, Shinya; Matsumoto, Taku; Tsuchimochi, Ryota; Murakami, Tatsutoshi

Frontiers in Nuclear Engineering (Internet), 2, p.1119567_1 - 1119567_7, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnuen.2023.1119567

Storage of plutonium (Pu)-containing materials requires extremely strict attention in terms of physical safety and material accounting. Despite the emphasized importance of storage management, only a few reports are available in the public, e.g., experience in PuO storage in the UK and safety standards in the storage of Pu-containing materials in the US. Japan also stores more U-Pu mixed oxide (MOX) mostly in powder form. Adopting an appropriate storage management is necessary depending on the characteristics of MOX items such as raw powder obtained by reprocessing of spent Light Water Reactor fuels, research and development on the remains of fuel fabrication, which can contain organic materials, and dry-recycled powder during fuel fabrication. Stagnation in fuel fabrications and experience in degradation of MOX containers during extended period of storage have led to the review of the storage method in the Plutonium Fuel Development Center in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The present work discusses the various nuclear materials, storage methods, experience in degradation of containers that occur during storage, and strategies for future long-term storage.

Materials science and fuel technologies of uranium and plutonium mixed oxide

Kato, Masato; Machida, Masahiko; Hirooka, Shun; Nakamichi, Shinya; Ikusawa, Yoshihisa; Nakamura, Hiroki; Kobayashi, Keita; Ozawa, Takayuki; Maeda, Koji; Sasaki, Shinji; et al.

Materials Science and Fuel Technologies of Uranium and Plutonium mixed Oxide, 171 Pages, 2022/10

https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003298205

Innovative and advanced nuclear reactors using plutonium fuel has been developed in each country. In order to develop a new nuclear fuel, irradiation tests are indispensable, and it is necessary to demonstrate the performance and safety of nuclear fuels. If we can develop a technology that accurately simulates irradiation behavior as a technology that complements the irradiation test, the cost, time, and labor involved in nuclear fuel research and development will be greatly reduced. And safety and reliability can be significantly improved through simulation of nuclear fuel irradiation behavior. In order to evaluate the performance of nuclear fuel, it is necessary to know the physical and chemical properties of the fuel at high temperatures. And it is indispensable to develop a behavior model that describes various phenomena that occur during irradiation. In previous research and development, empirical methods with fitting parameters have been used in many parts of model development. However, empirical techniques can give very different results in areas where there is no data. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to construct a scientific descriptive model that can extrapolate the basic characteristics of fuel to the composition and temperature, and to develop an irradiation behavior analysis code to which the model is applied.

Oxygen potential measurement of (U,Pu,Am)O and (U,Pu,Am,Np)O

Hirooka, Shun; Matsumoto, Taku; Kato, Masato; Sunaoshi, Takeo*; Uno, Hiroki*; Yamada, Tadahisa*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 542, p.152424_1 - 152424_9, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152424

The measurement of oxygen potential was conducted at 1,673, 1,773, and 1,873 K for (UPuAm)O and at 1,873 and 1,923 K for (UPuAmNp)O by using a thermo-gravimeter and an oxygen sensor. Am inclusion in terms of substituting the U significantly increased the oxygen potential. Similarly, the inclusion of Np as a substitute for U increased the oxygen potential; however, the effect was not as large as that with the Pu or Am addition at the same rate. The results were analyzed via defect chemistry and certain defect formations were suggested in the reducing region and the near-stoichiometric region by plotting the relationship between PO and the deviation from the stoichiometry. The equilibrium constants of the defect reactions were arranged to reproduce the experiment such that Am/Np contents were included in the entropy with coefficients fitting the experimental data.

Pulsed neutron imaging based crystallographic structure study of a Japanese sword made by Sukemasa in the Muromachi period

Oikawa, Kenichi; Kiyanagi, Yoshiaki*; Sato, Hirotaka*; Omae, Kazuma*; Pham, A.*; Watanabe, Kenichi*; Matsumoto, Yoshihiro*; Shinohara, Takenao; Kai, Tetsuya; Harjo, S.; et al.

Materials Research Proceedings, Vol.15, p.207 - 213, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644900574-32

Recent progress on practical materials study by Bragg edge imaging at J-PARC

Oikawa, Kenichi; Su, Y. H.; Kiyanagi, Ryoji; Kawasaki, Takuro; Shinohara, Takenao; Kai, Tetsuya; Hiroi, Kosuke; Harjo, S.; Parker, J. D.*; Matsumoto, Yoshihiro*; et al.

Physica B; Condensed Matter, 551, p.436 - 442, 2018/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2017.12.038

Defect chemistry and basic properties of non-stoichiometric PuO

Kato, Masato; Nakamura, Hiroki; Watanabe, Masashi; Matsumoto, Taku; Machida, Masahiko

Defect and Diffusion Forum, 375, p.57 - 70, 2017/05

http://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/DDF.375.57

The basic properties of PuO were reviewed, and the equilibrium defects in PuO were evaluated from the experimental data of the oxygen potential and electrical conductivity as well as the Ab-initio calculation results. Consistency among various properties was confirmed, and the mechanistic models for thermal property representations were derived.

Oxygen potential measurement of (PuAm)O at high temperatures

Matsumoto, Taku; Arima, Tatsumi*; Inagaki, Yaohiro*; Idemitsu, Kazuya*; Kato, Masato; Morimoto, Kyoichi; Sunaoshi, Takeo*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 52(10), p.1296 - 1302, 2015/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2014.986243

The oxygen potentials of (PuAm)O were measured at 1873K, 1773K and 1473K by gas equilibrium method. It was shown that following the reduction of Am at the O/M ratio above 1.96, Pu was reduced at the O/M ratio below 1.96.

Thermal and mechanical properties of UO and PuO

Kato, Masato; Matsumoto, Taku

NEA/NSC/R(2015)2 (Internet), p.162 - 167, 2015/06

https://www.oecd-nea.org/science/docs/2015/nsc-r2015-2.pdf#page=174

Uranium and plutonium mixed oxide is base material for minor actinide (MA)-bearing MOX fuels. It is important to evaluate basic properties of UO and PuO as fundamental aspects of MA-bearing MOX fuel development. Especially, heat capacity and thermal conductivity of UO and PuO are important data to analyze thermal behaviors depending on Pu content. However, the data of PuO is limited, and it is difficult to understand the mechanism of temperature dependence on their properties. The (Cv+Cd) of UO and PuO is almost same. The analysis results showed that the Schottky term of PuO is 1.5 times as larger as that of UO. The thermal conductivity was analyzed by Slack equation. The calculation results showed that the thermal conductivity of PuO was higher than that of UO. The relationship between mechanical and thermal properties was described, and the heat capacity and thermal conductivity were analyzed.

Synthesis, structure, luminescence, and magnetic properties of a single-ion magnet, ""-[Tris(-[(imidazol-4-yl)-methylidene]-DL-phenylalaninato)terbium(III) and related ""-DL-alaninato derivative

Yamauchi, Suguru*; Fujinami, Takeshi*; Matsumoto, Naohide*; Mochida, Naotaka*; Ishida, Takayuki*; Sunatsuki, Yukinari*; Watanabe, Masayuki; Tsuchimoto, Masanobu*; Coletti, C.*; Re, N.*

Inorganic Chemistry, 53(12), p.5961 - 5971, 2014/06

https://doi.org/10.1021/ic5001599

Two Tb complexes with same NO donor atoms but different coordination geometries,-[Tb(HL)]7HO () and -[Tb(HL)]7HO (), were synthesized, where HL and HL are -[(imidazol-4-yl)methylidene]-DL-alanine and -DL-phenylalanine, respectively. The magnetic data were analyzed by a spin Hamiltonian including the crystal field effect on Tb ion (4f, = 6, = 3, = 3, = 3/2, F). The Stark splitting of the ground state F was evaluated from the magnetic analysis, and the energy diagram pattern indicated an easy-plane and easy-axis (Ising type) magnetic anisotropies for and , respectively. Highly efficient luminescences with = 0.50 and 0.61 for and , respectively, were observed, and the luminescence fine structure due to the D F transition is in good accordance with the energy diagram determined from the magnetic analysis.