2014
ACL
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K.Plevacova, C.Journeau, P.Piluso, J.Poirier, 'Eutectic crystallization in the UO2 – Al2O3 – HfO2 ceramic phase diagram', Ceram. Int. 40 2565-2573 (2014) doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.08.047
In the frame of the Generation IV Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) safety studies, a core catcher with a sacrificial material could be placed at the bottom of the nuclear reactor. Its role is to dilute the (U, Pu)O2 molten fuel in case of a hypothetical core meltdown accident. A Al2O3 – HfO2 ceramic is a candidate for the sacrificial material. To understand how the molten fuel would mix with this sacrificial material, the UO2 – Al2O3 – HfO2 system was investigated at CEA Cadarache PLINIUS corium platform. The eutectic position of the UO2 – Al2O3 – HfO2 was determined: the eutectic temperature is 1728 ± 22°C (2001 ± 22 K) and the eutectic composition is 30 wt% UO2 – 35 wt% Al2O3 – 35 wt% HfO2. Then, the pseudo-binary UO2 – (50wt% Al2O3 – 50wt% HfO2) phase diagram has been proposed.
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