Texture analyses and microstructural evolution in monolithic U-Mo nuclear fuel

This work describes the microstructural evolution of prototypical monolithic U-Mo fuel plates analyzed via scanning electron microscopy and backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The understanding textural nuclear from as-fabricated to post-irradiation is important in assessing changes material properties during irradiation. In our it was observed that typical fabrication techniques applied U-10Mo develop features associated with a cold-rolled body-centered cubic (bcc) texture development ? ? fiber (parallel rolling normal direction). After irradiation, loss fabrication-induced preferred orientation an increased spread grain-boundary misorientation as burnup increases. Grain subdivision irradiated samples formation submicron grains (200–500 nm). Evidence for polygonization mechanism leading grain detected. has been first time EBSD low-angle boundaries (<15 degrees) at site grains. Such analyses (from after irradiation) have potential help validate physics-based models provide key feedback loop further understand interplay between processes performance.