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Performance Analysis of U3Si2-Al Fuel with Density of 2.96 gU/cm3 and Burnup of 56%

Maman Kartaman Ajiriyanto, Aslina Br. Ginting, Sungkono, Supardjo, Juan Carlos Sihotang

Nuclear Technology / Volume 211 / Number 5 / May 2025 / Pages 953-962

Research Article / dx.doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2365485

Received:July 8, 2023
Accepted:May 31, 2024
Published:April 7, 2025

Post-irradiation examination (PIE) of a low-enriched-uranium silicide fuel plate, irradiated in the Indonesian Reaktor Serba Guna–Gerrit Augustinus Siwabessy (RSG-GAS) multipurpose reactor, was successfully conducted. The objective of the PIE project was to evaluate the performance and integrity of the fuel under radiation exposure and, furthermore, to explore the potential for increasing the burnup level, enhancing its efficiency and effectiveness. The targeted fuel plate, identified as IDA0045, was extracted from the experimental silicide fuel element RI-SIE2, which had a burnup level of approximately 56% loss of 235U. A scanning electron microscope combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy microstructural examination and a Vickers microhardness test were conducted for the top, middle, and bottom sections of the fuel. The PIE results indicated minimal occurrence of fuel swelling and good fuel integrity under irradiation, suggesting the possibility of increasing the burnup level.