Annual report on operation, utilization and technical development for Hot Laboratories. From April 1, 1995 to March 31, 1996

This report describes activities, in the fiscal year 1995, of the Reactor Fuel Examination Facility (RFEF), the Research Hot Laboratory (RHL) and the Waste Safety Testing Facility (WASTEF) which belong to the Department of Hot laboratories. In the RFEF, Post-Irradiation Examinations (PIEs) of PWR fuel rods irradiated in the Takahama Unit 3 and of a BWR fuel assembly irradiated in the Fukusima Daini Unit 2 have mainly been performed. Also, PIEs of ATR fuel assemblies and segment fuel assemblies irradiated in the Fugen Reactor have been carried out. To support R and D works in JAERI, refabrication of segmented fuel rods have been done using irradiated LWR fuel rods for pulse irradiation in the NSRR and re-irradiation tests in the JMTR. PIEs have been performed on high burnup fuel rods from the Ohi Unit 1 and a Rock-Like Fuel samples irradiated in JRR-3M. For the RHL, PIEs have been performed on segment fuels irradiated in the NSRR, fuels and materials for HTTR, standard fuels for JRR-3M and materials for nuclear fusion reactor. In addition, monitoring tests of fuel elements in accordance with the surveillance program of the Magnox reactor of the Japan Atomic Power Corporation have been continued. In the WASTEF, leaching tests on TRU in simulated glass waste forms and a low flow rate tests on glass waste forms have been carried out. The examinations of alpha damage acceleration for the Synroc waste forms have also been performed. (author)