Irradiation behavior of compounds of uranium as fuel for high-flux reactors

High-density compounds such as U6Fe and U3Si exhibit breakaway swelling behavior and are not suitable for use as dispersants in plate-type fuel requiring high fissile loading. The break-away swelling of these compounds is attributed to an irradiation-induced crystalline-to-amorphous transformation. The medium high density compound U3Si2 was found to have moderate and stable swelling. It is characterized by a two-stage behavior, apparently associated with irradiation-induced grain refinement of the crystalline compound. Ceramic compounds such as U308 react readily with aluminum, and their behavior is primarily determined by this phenomenon