Micro characterization of the nitric acid insolubles of the irradiated SIMFUEL and dry process refabrication fuel

The micro characteristics of the nitric acid insolubles, size, shape and elemental composition, which were obtained from the irradiated SIMFUEL and dry process refabrication fuel was investigated with Electron Probe Micro Analyser(EPMA). It was found that the nitric acid insolubles which came from the irradiated SIMFULE was shinning spherical shape and its size was sub micron to 1 μm. The most abundant metallic phase was Mo-Ru-Pd(45:45:10). However, the metallic phase which contained Tc or Te was found rarely. The size of nitric acid insolubles which obtained from the irradiated dry process refabrication fuel was 0.2 ∼ 3 μm and it had various shape. The most abundant metallic phase was Mo-Ru-Pd(48:39:13) and it amounted to 43% of total nitric acid insolubles. And about 4% of total nitric acid insolubles was Mo-Ru-Tc-Pd(40:33:10:17) phase. But the metallic phase which contained Te was not found from the nitric acid insolubles of the irradiated dry process refabrication fuel. According to the analysis result, all metallic phase of the nitric acid insolubles contained Mo and Ru