Engineering of Fuel Plates on Uranium-Molybdenum Monolithic: Critical Issues
Engineering of nuclear fuels using monolithic plates of uranium-molybdenum and Al-6061 cladding is the current challenge for research and test reactors. The main drawback of the manufacture of monolithic nuclear fuel was analyzed using two surface coating methods: aluminum sputtering and transient liquid phase bonding (TLPB). Coating was done with a commercial alloy of Al-Si (R-4047). These techniques were used to improve the metallurgical bonding between the UMo and the cladding by rolling. Finally, design parameters and manufacture of UMo plate fuels were established. Mechanical tests were used to characterize the plates, resulting in UTS values of about 700 and 1000 MPa for the UMo alloys. These results are complemented with metrological analyses, X-Ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analyses, and metallography. X-rays and ultrasound scanners were used to monitor bonding and the co-rolling effects. These initial results show the main obstacles to the engineering development of UMo monolithic plate fuels with Al-6061 cladding, and these are discussed herein.
Thermal compatibility studies of unirradiated UMo alloys dispersed in aluminum
Abstract The thermal compatibility of centrifugally atomized UMo alloys with aluminium has been studied. The results of the investigations show that the U-2 wt% Mo/aluminum dispersions increase in volume by 26% at 400°C after 2000 h. This large volume change is mainly due to the formation of voids and cracks resulting from nearly complete interdiffusion of UMo and aluminum. No significant dimensional changes occur in the U-10 wt% Mo/aluminum dispersions. Interdiffusion between U-10 wt% Mo and aluminum is found to be minimal. The different diffusion behavior is primarily due to the fact that U-10 wt% Mo particles are much more supersaturated with substitutional molybdenum than U-2 wt% Mo particles. The aluminum diffuses into the U-2 wt% Mo particles relatively rapidly along grain boundary with nearly pure uranium, forming UAl3 almost fully throughout the 2000 h anneal, whereas the molybdenum supersaturated in the U-10 wt% Mo particles inhibits the diffusion of aluminum atoms. U-10 wt% Mo displays superior thermal compatibility with aluminum compared to U-2 wt% Mo.
Single step formation of biocompatible bimetallic alloy nanoparticles of gold and silver using isonicotinylhydrazide.
Manufacturing nanoparticles with controlled physicochemical properties using environment-friendly routes have potential to open new prospects for a variety of applications. Accordingly, several approaches have been established for manufacturing metal nanoparticles. Many of these approaches entail the use of hazardous chemicals and could be toxic to the environment, and cannot be used readily for biomedical applications. In the present work, we report a single step bio-friendly approach to formulate gold (Au), silver (Ag), and Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles with desired surface corona and composition using isonicotinylhydrazide (INH) as a reducing agent. INH also functioned as a stabilizing agent by enabling a surface corona around the nanoparticles. Remarkably, within a single step INH could also provide a handle in regulating the composition of Au and Ag in bimetallic systems without any additional chemical modification. The physicochemical and surface properties of the different nanoparticles thus obtained have been examined by analytical, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Cell cytotoxicity (release of lactate dehydrogenase), cell viability and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays confirmed that the Au, Ag, and Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles prepared with INH are biocompatible. Finally, the presence of organic surface corona of INH on the nanoparticles was found to impart nanozyme activity and antimycobacterial sensitivity to the nanoparticles.