Alternative Fabrication of Volatile Metal Fuel Slugs for Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor
In order to develop alternative fabrication method of fuel slugs for preventing the evaporation of volatile elements such as AM,U-10wt.%Zr-Mn fuel slugs for SFR (: Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor) have been fabricated by modified casting method and characterized to evaluate the feasibility of the alternative fabrication. Metal fuels such as U-Zr/U-Pu-Zr alloys have been considered as a nuclear fuel for a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) related to the closed fuel cycle for managing minor actinides and reducing a high radioactivity levels since the 1980's In order to develop innovative fabrication method of metal fuel slugs for preventing the evaporation of volatile elements such as Am, modified casting under inert atmosphere has been applied for metal fuel slugs for SFR. Alternative fabrication method of fuel slugs has been introduced to develop an improved fabrication process of metal fuel for preventing the evaporation of volatile elements. In this study, U- 10wt.%Zr-Mn fuel slugs for SFR have been fabricated by modified casting method and characterized to evaluate the feasibility of the alternative fabrication method. Alternative casting such as modified casting has been applied to develop fabrication method of fuel slugs for preventing the evaporation of volatile elements such as Am. U-10wt.%Zr-Mn containing a volatile surrogate Mn fuel slugs was soundly fabricated under inert atmosphere with dimensions of Φ5 - L 250 mm. Mass fraction of fuel loss was so low, up to 0.2%. Mn element was most recovered with prevention in evaporation of Mn. It was seen that the losses of volatile Am can be effectively controlled to below detectable levels using modest pressure. (authors)