[1O11-14] Nuclear Materials 2

4:30 PM - 4:45 PM JST(7:30 AM - 7:45 AM UTC)

[1O13] Study of changes in melting behaviour of the UO2-Zircaloy-2 system induced by addition of magnetite at temperatures 2000 and 2100 °C

*Bella Zubekhina¹, Masahide Takano², Anton Pshenichnikov³ (1. JAEA, Fukushima Research and Engineering Institute, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki, Japan, 2. JAEA, Nuclear Science Research Institute, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki, Japan, 3. JAEA, Fukushima Research and Engineering Institute, Tomioka, Fukushima, Japan.)

Keywords:

corium,severe accident,fuel,cladding,melting

Interactions in two systems UO₂-Zircaloy and UO₂-Zircaloy-magnetite were studied at temperatures 2000 and 2100 °C during 30 min in argon atmosphere. It was shown that presence of relatively small amount of magnetite in UO₂-Zircaloy system suppresses both UO₂ dissolution and diffusion of U from UO₂ to the melt. The average bulk content of U in molten Zry decreased 6 times for UO₂-Zry-Fe₃O₄. Presence of magnetite also affects the composition of new-formed phases. A typical corium phase (U,Zr)O₂ was not observed due to influence of Fe₃O₄.The results obtained allow suggesting that presence of Fe₃O₄ may affect the behaviour of UO₂-Zry melt during severe accident progression.