Effect of oxygen and nitrogen impurities on the thermodynamic properties of uranium-plutonium mixed carbide fuel

Abstract

The mixed carbide fuel being developed as an alternative to the mixed oxide to fuel fast breeder reactors consists of uranium-plutonium monocarbide with an admixture of 10-20 vol% of the sesqui-carbide. The monocarbide phase contains oxygen and nitrogen as dissolved impurities. These impurities as well as the sesquicarbide phase affect the performance of the fuel. The quantities of interest in assessing the performance of the fuel are its carbon potential and the partial pressures of carbon monoxide and plutonium. Both carbon potential and CO pressures are important in clad carburisation, the latter being involved in a gas phase carburisation mechanism. In the present study the partial pressures of CO, Pu and N₂ as well as the carbon potential of the fuel have been calculated as a function of plutonium fraction, impurity (O, N) concentration, sesquicarbide content and temperature. Two different caculational methods were used - one based on a set of equilibrium relations between the co-existing phases and the other based on free energy minimisation employing the computer programme SOLGASMIX-PV. The results are presented graphically and trends in the values are discussed.