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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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This paper outlines the irradiation plan for the CCTE-ANEEL-1A experiment in the ATR including irradiation locations, test train geometry, and a summary of the experiment design analysis. ATR irradiation is expected to begin in Spring 2024, with burnup targets of 20, 40, and 60 GWd/MTU.
To develop a more reliable and stable UO2-based nuclear fuel, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) investigated modifying fuel with several soluble lanthanides and zirconium. This article provides the results of these studies investigating gadolinium doping at levels up to 10 mass%. The authors characterized and compared commercially- and PNNL-prepared gadolinium-doped UO2 to determine the oxygen-to-metal ratio, elemental distribution, chemical composition, physical appearance, lattice parameters, and grain structure using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. After confirming PNNL-prepared UO2 and (Gd,U)O2 were similar to commercially prepared UO2 and (Gd,U)O2, we measured the thermal behavior of these gadolinium-doped UO2 materials to air oxidation using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Addition of gadolinium stabilized the first oxidation product U4¬O9/U3O7 and slowed the subsequent oxidation to U3O8. Comparison of our measured two-step oxidation of UO2 to U3O8 at 325°C to common gas/solid kinetic reaction models found that each oxidation step is best described as a convolution of kinetic behaviors; the gadolinium insertion into the UO2 lattice enforces a significant alteration in mechanism and oxidation rate. Noticeable changes in mechanism become apparent between 1% and 3% gadolinium content.
The development and deployment of a new generation of nuclear reactors necessitates a thorough evaluation of techniques used to characterize nuclear materials for nuclear forensic applications. Advanced fuels proposed for use in these reactors present both challenges and opportunities for the nuclear forensic field. Many efforts in pre-detonation nuclear forensics are currently focused on the analysis of uranium oxides, uranium ore concentrates, and fuel pellets since these materials have historically been found outside of regulatory control. The increasing use of TRISO particles, metal fuels, molten fuel salts, and novel ceramic fuels will require an expansion of the current nuclear forensic suite of signatures to accommodate the different physical dimensions, chemical compositions, and material properties of these advanced fuel forms. In this work, a semi-quantitative priority scoring system is introduced to identify the order in which the nuclear forensics community should pursue research and development on material signatures for advanced reactor designs. This scoring system was applied to propose the following priority ranking of six major advanced reactor categories: (1) molten salt reactor (MSR), (2) liquid metal-cooled reactor (LMR), (3) very-high-temperature reactor (VHTR), (4) fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR), (5) gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), and (6) supercritical water-cooled reactor (SWCR).
Inhalation of uranium aerosols produced via human activities such as mining can pose a threat to human respiratory systems. Uranium oxide particulates emit short-range alpha particles that elicit DNA and direct damage, beyond associated physiochemical heavy-metal toxicity, to internal epithelial tissues. The availability of reliable in vitro models to study radiation exposure can greatly enhance our ability to understand and combat the biological impacts of exposure. However, the toxicological effects of alpha emissions and/or the oxidation states of uranium particulates vary across different human lung epithelial cell models and have not been systematically compared. We have endeavored to address this limitation by comparing impacts in three different human lung cell models: primary human bronchial and tracheal epithelial cells, primary human small airway epithelial cells, and human adenocarcinoma alveolar basal epithelial cells. Other studies have mainly investigated the toxicity of depleted uranium. Here, we compared the exposure of uranium oxide particulates (U 3 O 8 and UO 3 ) of different enrichment states on the chosen cell systems. Each cell model was exposed to 0.1, 1, 10, 50, 100, and 500 µg/mL of depleted U 3 O 8 , highly-enriched U 3 O 8 , and natural UO 3 particulates for 24 hours in submerged monolayer cultures. We compared viability and superoxide dismutase activity results across cell lines and uranium enrichment/ oxidative states. The results showed that 1) the oxide state of the particulates affected cell viability, implying that uranium’s different oxidation states contribute to different toxicological responses, and 2) each cell model reacts differently when exposed to uranium oxides, which may provide insights into the mechanistic processes associated with the exposure of radiological particulates on different biological systems. For instance, increased uranium enrichment corresponds to increased toxicity for the primary cells, but not for the immortalized cells. Our study shows that a holistic approach that incorporates similarities between model systems and types of radionuclides is required to truly develop empirical solutions for radiation exposure.
This project explored the use of combustion synthesis as a rapid, high-temperature method for oxidizing uranium-bearing steel alloys. Traditional laboratory-scale synthesis methods often fail to replicate the thermal and kinetic conditions experienced by real-world particulates, particularly those formed under rapid quenching or high-temperature scenarios. Combustion synthesis offers a promising alternative by enabling fast, localized heating and flexible precursor selection. A series of targeted experiments were conducted using a U 2 NiCrFe 4 alloy as the precursor. The alloy was oxidized using combustion synthesis reactions fueled by uranyl nitrate and glycine, achieving peak temperatures exceeding 1,200 °C. Postreaction analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental mapping, and Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of iron-based oxides, with limited but detectable evidence of uranium oxide phases such as UO 2 . The results indicate that under the rapid reaction and cooling conditions of combustion synthesis, iron oxides form preferentially, but uranium oxide formation is kinetically limited. These findings validate combustion synthesis as a viable method for simulating the oxidation behavior of uranium steels in extreme environments and lay the groundwork for future studies aimed at enhancing uranium oxide formation through higher temperatures or modified precursor compositions.
The growth rate of structural defects in nuclear fuels under irradiation is intrinsically related to the diffusion rates of the defects in the fuel lattice. The generation and growth of atomistic structural defects can significantly alter the performance characteristics of the fuel. This alteration of functionality must be accurately captured to qualify a nuclear fuel for use in reactors. Predicting the diffusion coefficients of defects and how they impact macroscale properties such as swelling, gas release, and creep is therefore of significant importance in both the design of new nuclear fuels and the assessment of current fuel types. In this article, we apply data-driven methods focusing on machine learning (ML) to determine various diffusion properties of two nuclear fuels—uranium oxide and uranium nitride. We show that using ML can increase, often significantly, the accuracy of predicting diffusivity in nuclear fuels in comparison to current analytical models. We also illustrate how ML can be used to quickly develop fuel models with parameter dependencies that are more complex and robust than what is currently available in the literature. In conclusion, these results suggest there is potential for ML to accelerate the design, qualification, and implementation of nuclear fuels.
In this study, a commercial-off-the-shelf handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system was modified, calibrated and tested for discrimination between uranium oxide and uranium hydride when assessing uranium corrosion products. Operating parameters, system modifications, and onboard data analysis were developed to accomplish the analytical task. This work represents the first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of bulk uranium hydride, a pyrophoric material, within an inert glovebox. Finally, the work shown here illustrates a rapid identification technique for uranium corrosion types from pure UO 2 or U 3 O 8 to pure UH 3 .
UO2CO3 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Imm2 space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of two carbonic acid molecules and two pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules.
UO2B2O4 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group. The structure is one-dimensional and consists of four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules and four BO2 ribbons oriented in the (0, 1, 0) direction. In each BO2 ribbon, B3+ is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to three O2- atoms. There are a spread of B–O bond distances ranging from 1.34–1.40 Å. There are two inequivalent O2- sites. In the first O2- site, O2- is bonded in a bent 120 degrees geometry to two equivalent B3+ atoms. In the second O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted single-bond geometry to one B3+ atom.
UO2CO3 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pmmn space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of two carbonic acid molecules and two pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules.
UO2(OH)2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmce space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules and eight water molecules.
UO2(OH)2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmc2_1 space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules and eight water molecules.
UO2(NH2O)2(NH2OH)2(H2O)2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pbca space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of eight hydroxyammonium molecules; eight hydroxylamine molecules; four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules; and eight water molecules.
UO2(NH4)3(CO2)4NH2OH2O crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of twelve ammonium molecules; sixteen formic acid molecules; four hydroxylamine molecules; four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules; and four water molecules.
UO2(NO3)2(H2O)6 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmc2_1 space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of eight nitric acid molecules; four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules; and twenty-four water molecules.
UO2(CO2)4 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Ccce space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of sixteen formic acid molecules and four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules.
UO2(N2)2(CO3)3 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of sixteen ammonia molecules; twelve carbonic acid molecules; and four pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules.
UO2UO2(NO3)2(NO3)2(H2O)4 is Cyanogen Chloride-like structured and crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. The structure is zero-dimensional and consists of four nitric acid molecules; two pitchblend, uranium(iv) oxide, uranium(iv) dioxide, uranium dioxide molecules; eight water molecules; and two UO2(NO3)2 clusters. In each UO2(NO3)2 cluster, U6+ is bonded in a distorted linear geometry to six O2- atoms. There are a spread of U–O bond distances ranging from 1.81–2.52 Å. N5+ is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to three O2- atoms. There are a spread of N–O bond distances ranging from 1.22–1.30 Å. There are four inequivalent O2- sites. In the first O2- site, O2- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one U6+ atom. In the second O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted single-bond geometry to one U6+ and one N5+ atom. In the third O2- site, O2- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N5+ atom. In the fourth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted water-like geometry to one U6+ and one N5+ atom.