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The Behavior of Nuclear Fuel in First Days of the Chernobyl Accident

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

B. E. Burakov ,
E. B. Anderson ,
S. I. Shabalev ,
E. E. Strykanova ,
S. V. Ushakov ,
M. Trotabas ,
J-Y. Blanc ,
P. Winter  and
J. Duco
B. E. Burakov
Affiliation:
V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 28, 2nd Murinsky ave., 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia
E. B. Anderson
Affiliation:
V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 28, 2nd Murinsky ave., 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia
S. I. Shabalev
Affiliation:
V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 28, 2nd Murinsky ave., 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia
E. E. Strykanova
Affiliation:
V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 28, 2nd Murinsky ave., 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia
S. V. Ushakov
Affiliation:
V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 28, 2nd Murinsky ave., 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia
M. Trotabas
Affiliation:
Center D'Etudes de Saclay, 91191 Gif-Sur, Yvette CEDEX, France
J-Y. Blanc
Affiliation:
Center D'Etudes de Saclay, 91191 Gif-Sur, Yvette CEDEX, France
P. Winter
Affiliation:
Center D'Etudes de Saclay, 91191 Gif-Sur, Yvette CEDEX, France
J. Duco
Affiliation:
IPSN, 60–68 ave. du General Ledere, BP6–92265 Fontenay-Aux-Roses CEDEX, France
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Abstract

Various types of Chernobyl fuel containing masses named black “lava”, brown “lava”, porous “ceramic” and “hot” particles that formed during first days of the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant 4th Unit were studied by methods of optical and electron microscopy, microprobe and x-ray diffraction. Data about their chemical, phase and radionuclide composition are summarized. The products of interaction between fuel, zircaloy and concrete, produced under experiments in laboratory were examined for comparison with samples of Chernobyl “lava” and “hot” particles. The behavior of nuclear fuel in first days of the Chernobyl accident was a three-stage process. The first stage occurred before the moment of the Chernobyl explosion and was exceptionally short-lasting, perhaps, less than a few seconds. It was characterized by reaching a high temperature, ≥2600 °C, in the epicenter of accident and formation of a Zr-U-O melt in a local part of the core, which is estimated to be not more than 30% of whole core volume. The second stage lasted for about 6 days since the explosion, during which there was interaction between uranium products of the destroyed reactor: UOx, UOx with Zr, Zr-U-O, with the environment and silicate structural materials of the 4th Unit. The third stage, after 6 days involved the process of final formation of the radioactive silicate melt or Chernobyl “lava” at one of the sections of the destroyed 4th Unit. During this stage the melt's lamination occurred, followed by a break-through of the “lava” reservoir on the 11 th day of the accident and penetration of the “lava” into space under the reactor.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 465: Symposium II – Scienfific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XX , 1996 , 1297
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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