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In situ Characterization of UO2 Microstructure Changes During an Annealing Test in an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Mathieu Marcet
Affiliation:
[email protected], Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Centre de Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
Yves Pontillon
Affiliation:
[email protected], Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Centre de Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
Lionel Desgranges
Affiliation:
[email protected], Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Centre de Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
David Simeone
Affiliation:
[email protected], CEA, DEN/DANS/DMN/SRMA/LA2M-MFE, Gif sur Yvette, 91191, France
Isabelle Aubrun
Affiliation:
[email protected], Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Centre de Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
Isabelle Felines
Affiliation:
[email protected], Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Centre de Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
Laurent Brunaud
Affiliation:
[email protected], Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Centre de Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
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Abstract

A 1 μg High Burn Up Structure (HBS) fragment was extracted from a UO2 fuel pellet irradiated for 7 cycles in a EDF Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR). In situ examinations were performed with an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) in order to characterize UO2 microstructure evolution during a temperature ramp up to 1,600K. The results are compared to previously published data on HBS annealing tests performed in a Knudsen cell where observed burst releases are explained as sample cracking during the experimental sequence.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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