The Electric Current Effect on Electrochemical Deconsolidation of Spherical Fuel Elements. (18th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Xiaotong; Lu, Zhenming; Zhao, Hongsheng; Liu, Bing; Zhu, Junguo; Tang, Chunhe
• Other Names: Morris Robert Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Science and technology of nuclear installations. Volume 2017(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-05-18
• Subjects: Nuclear engineering -- Periodicals; Nuclear facilities -- Periodicals; Nuclear engineering; Nuclear facilities; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 621.48
• DOI: 10.1155/2017/2126876
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-6075

Abstract

Abstract : For High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor in China, fuel particles are bonded into spherical fuel elements by a carbonaceous matrix. For the study of fuel failure mechanism from individual fuel particles, an electrochemical deconsolidation apparatus was developed in this study to separate the particles from the carbonaceous matrix by disintegrating the matrix into fine graphite powder. The deconsolidated graphite powder and free particles were characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and ceramography. The results showed that the morphology, size distribution, and element content of deconsolidated graphite matrix and free particles were notably affected by electric current intensity. The electrochemical deconsolidation mechanism of spherical fuel element was also discussed.