ISSN: 2375-3765
American Journal of Chemistry and Application  
Manuscript Information
 
 
Chemical and Structural Characterization of Zirconium Nitride Produced by External Gelation and Neutronic Performances
American Journal of Chemistry and Application
Vol.6 , No. 2, Publication Date: May 30, 2019, Page: 12-17
6510 Views Since May 30, 2019, 589 Downloads Since May 30, 2019
 
 
Authors
 
[1]    

Osama Farid, Reactor Department, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.

[2]    

Nader Mohamed, Reactor Department, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.

 
Abstract
 

Materials used in fuel elements in next generation of nuclear power are expected to be more efficient than previous materials and are also expected to be subject to harsher thermal and radiation environments. Zirconium nitride (ZrN) exhibits exceptional mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties for use as component for Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) fuel. This work improved current understanding of processing and thermophysical properties of zirconium nitride, also neutronic performance of (U-Pu)N fuels. A newly developed external gelation produced zirconiumoxynitride pellets, and their structure and growth was characterized by SEM and XRD. XRD analysis of the ZrN showed the samples had formed highly crystalline solid solutions during sintering. The resulting thermal conductivity of ZrNx and Zr-biphasic material would still meet the melting temperature requirements of GFR fuel materials of 2200 K. The differences in the properties observed were due to the different gelation mechanisms involved and the physical form of the matrix produced. The neutronic performance of the (U-Pu)O2 and (U-Pu)N fuels (80 wt.% natural uranium and 20 wt.% plutonium reactor grade) has been studied using Monte Carlo N–Particle Transport Code System (MCNPX 2.7.0 code). Due to the higher density of heavy metals in (U-Pu)N fuel than in (U-Pu)O2 fuel, (U-Pu)N, this fuel achieved longer irradiation times.


Keywords
 

Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor, Non-oxide Ceramics, Zirconium Nitride Fabrication, Nuclear Fuels Microstructure, MCNPX 2.7.0 Code


Reference
 
[01]    

J. C. Hedge, J. W. Kopec, C. Kostenko, J. L. Lang, Thermal Properties of Refractory Alloys, US Air Force Report, ASD-TDR 63-597, 1963.

[02]    

N. Chauvin, R. J. M. Konings, Hj. Matzke, Optimization of Inert Matrix Fuel Concepts for Americium Transmutation, Journal of Nuclear Materials, (1999), 274, 105-111.

[03]    

P. C. Stevenson and W. E. Nervik, The Radiochemistry of the Rare Earths, Scandium, Yttrium, and Actinium, National Academy of Sciences National Research Council Nuclear Series, NAS-NS 3020, February 1961.

[04]    

Y. Arai, K. Nakajima, Preparation and Characterization of PuN Pellets Containing ZrN and TiN, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 281, 244-247, 2000.

[05]    

M. Salvatores, G. Palmiotti, Radioactive Waste Partitioning and Transmutation Within Advanced Fuel Cycles: Achievements and Challenges, Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, (2011), 66, 144-166.

[06]    

Y. Arai, K. Minato, Fabrication and Electrochemical Behavior of Nitride Fuel for Future Applications, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 344, 180-185, 2005.

[07]    

V. Basini, J. P. Ottaviani, J. C. Richaud, M. Streit, F. Ingold, Experimental Assessment of Thermophysical Properties of (Pu, Zr)N, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 344, 186-190, 2005.

[08]    

A. Ciriello, V. V. Rondinella, D. Staicu, J. Somers, Thermophysical Characterization of Nitrides Inert Matrices: Preliminary Results on Zirconium Nitride, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 371, 129-133, 2007.

[09]    

J. L. Collins, M. F. Lloyd, and R. L. Fellows, The Basic Chemistry Involved in the Internal-Gelation Method of Precipitating Uranium as Determined by pH Measurements, Radiochim. Acta, (1987), 42, 121–34.

[10]    

T. Nakagawa, H. Matsuoka, M. Sawa, M. Hirota, M. Miyake, M. Katsura, Formation of Uranium and Cerium Nitrides by the Reaction of Carbides with NH3 and N2/H2 Stream, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 247, 127-130, 1997.

[11]    

Matthew Bunn, Steve Fetter, John P. Holdren, Bob Van Der Zwaan, “The Economics of Reprocessing Vs. Direct Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel,” Final Report 8/12/1999-7/30/2003, President and Fellows of Harvard University, 2003.

[12]    

M. W. Chase, Jr., NIST-JANAF (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Thermochemical Tables, Fourth Edition, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, Monograph 9, (1998), 1-1951.

[13]    

J. Adachi, K. Kurosaki, M. Uno, S. Yamanaka, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Zirconium Nitride, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, (2005), 399, 242-244.

[14]    

Pelowitz, D. B., 2011. MCNPX User’s Manual, Version 2.7.0. Los Alamos National Laboratory.

[15]    

P. Petkevich, K. Mikityuk, P. Coddington, S. Pelloni, R. Chawla, Comparative Transient Analysis of a Gas-cooled Fast Reactor for Different Fuel Types, Proceedings of ICAPP ’06, Reno, NV USA, June 4-8, 2006.

[16]    

Nader M. A. Mohamed, Alya Badawi, “Effect of DUPIC Cycle on CANDU Reactor Safety Parameters” Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 48 (5), 2016.

[17]    

Ricardo Reyes-Ramírez, Cecilia Martín-del-Campo, Juan-Luis François, EmericBrun, Eric Dumonteil, FaustoMalvagi, “Comparison of MCNPX-C90 and TRIPOLI-4-D for fuel depletion calculations of a Gas-cooled Fast Reactor,” Annals of Nuclear Energy 37 (2010) 1101–1106.





 
  Join Us
 
  Join as Reviewer
 
  Join Editorial Board
 
share:
 
 
Submission
 
 
Membership