Francine J. Rice

RERTR-12 Post-irradiation Examination Summary Report

The following report contains the results and conclusions for the post irradiation examinations performed on RERTR-12 Insertion 2 experiment plates. These exams include eddy-current testing to measure oxide growth; neutron radiography for evaluating the condition of the fuel prior to sectioning and determination of fuel relocation and geometry changes; gamma scanning to provide relative measurements for burnup and indication of fuel- and fission-product relocation; profilometry to measure dimensional changes of the fuel plate; analytical chemistry to benchmark the physics burnup calculations; metallography to examine the microstructural changes in the fuel, interlayer and cladding; and microhardness testing to determine the material-property changes of the fuel and cladding. These characterization activities are tailored specifically to define: • The mechanical response of fuel meat, cladding, and interlayers, including diffusion barrier integrity • Whether geometry is stable and predictable; that changes in channel gap do not compromise ability to cool fuel • That fuel performance is known and predictable • A limited set of physical properties that are important for the analysis of fuel burnup limits • Whether swelling is stable and predictable.