Prospect of Uranium Silicide fuel element with hypostoichiometric (Si ≤3.7%)

An attempt to obtain high uranium-loading in silicide dispersion fuel element using the fabrication technology applicable nowadays can reach Uranium-loading slightly above 5 gU/cm3. It is difficult to achieve a higher uranium-loading than that because of fabricability constraints. To overcome those difficulties, the use of uranium silicide U3Si based is considered. The excess of U is obtained by synthesising U3Si2 in Si-hypostoichiometric stage, without applying heat treatment to the ingot as it can generate undesired U3Si. The U U will react with the matrix to form U alx compound, that its pressure is tolerable. This experiment is to consider possibilities of employing the U3Si2 as nuclear fuel element which have been performed by synthesising U3Si2-U with the composition of 3.7 % weigh and 3 % weigh U. The ingot was obtained and converted into powder form which then was fabricated into experimental plate nuclear fuel element. The interaction between free U and Al-matrix during heat-treatment is the rolling phase of the fuel element was observed. The study of the next phase will be conducted later