This lecture describes the chemistry of actinides and fission products in reactors, primarily focusing on phases formed in nuclear fuel. The fission process is reviewed and fuel burnup discussed. Determining fission product and actinide concentration to assess burnup is introduced. The variation of fission product and actinide concentration with burnup and initial fuel composition is provided. Axial and radial distribution of activity, fission products, and actinides is discussed, highlighting the role of neutron flux and energies on the distribution. Conditions necessary for the formation of separate phases in UO2 are shown for perovskite and metallic phases, emphasizing the role of oxygen in the process. The behavior of fission products can be grouped into 4 areas: volatile species, metallic precipitates, oxide precipitates, and solid solutions.
Lecture completed and quiz submitted.
ReplyDeleteLecture and quiz completed. I hadn't considered the different forms that fission products might take in fuel, so this was a very interesting lecture! Thanks again for posting early!
ReplyDeleteKatherine..it was great to meet and talk with you and James in person at UNLV last week! Look forward to seeing you both again at some point next semester!
ReplyDeleteLecture and quiz completed.
ReplyDeleteNice meeting you Sherrod!
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