Zirconium metal electrodeposition on uranium nitride in molten fluoride salts

IF 2.8 2区工程技术 Q3 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Nuclear Materials Pub Date : 2025-03-14 DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.155750

Jarom L. Chamberlain , Hannah K. Patenaude , Amanda L. Musgrove , Rami J. Batrice , Timothy P. Coons , Marisa J. Monreal

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Uranium nitride (UN) has application as fuel for nuclear thermal rockets and advanced nuclear reactors. The high melting point, high fissile density, and thermal conductivity of UN makes it an attractive candidate for fuel in these applications. Coating uranium nitride fuel with metal such as zirconium provides additional stability and containment to the UN, promoting its survivability and accident tolerance. This study demonstrates molten salt electrodeposition as a method to deposit a coating of zirconium metal onto a uranium nitride substrate. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the molten salt system and demonstrate the zirconium precursor reduction. Post electrodeposition characterization depicted a zirconium metal coating on the uranium nitride substrate. Preferential growth was observed on one of the substrate interfaces. The average thickness of the coating where preferential growth was depicted was 194 µm.

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来源期刊

Journal of Nuclear Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

25.80%

发文量

601

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Nuclear Materials publishes high quality papers in materials research for nuclear applications, primarily fission reactors, fusion reactors, and similar environments including radiation areas of charged particle accelerators. Both original research and critical review papers covering experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either fundamental or applied nature are welcome. The breadth of the field is such that a wide range of processes and properties in the field of materials science and engineering is of interest to the readership, spanning atom-scale processes, microstructures, thermodynamics, mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion, for example. Topics covered by JNM Fission reactor materials, including fuels, cladding, core structures, pressure vessels, coolant interactions with materials, moderator and control components, fission product behavior. Materials aspects of the entire fuel cycle. Materials aspects of the actinides and their compounds. Performance of nuclear waste materials; materials aspects of the immobilization of wastes. Fusion reactor materials, including first walls, blankets, insulators and magnets. Neutron and charged particle radiation effects in materials, including defects, transmutations, microstructures, phase changes and macroscopic properties. Interaction of plasmas, ion beams, electron beams and electromagnetic radiation with materials relevant to nuclear systems.