Development of High-Performance Uranium-Metal Fuels for Savannah River Reactors

The development of high-performance uranium-metal fuel elements for Savannah River reactors required a major metallurgical effort to achieve satisfactory irradiation behavior. Fuel-element design changes, principally embodying increased heat-transfer area, were accompanied by improved methods far bonding the uranium cores within aluminum cans. Anisotropic growth of the fuel element during irradiation caused by texture of the core was eliminated by development of beta heat-treating processes using oil quenching. Cavitational swelling was controlled by minor alloying additions to the uranium metal. The resulting fuel elements proved capable of sustaining high exposures.