Fuel cladding chemical interaction in metallic sodium fast reactor fuels: A historical perspective

Abstract

Starting in the 1950s, significant efforts have been devoted to developing metallic nuclear fuels for use in sodium fast reactors. During irradiation, one performance limitation for this type of fuel is fuel cladding chemical interaction (FCCI), which occurs after the fuel swells and contacts the cladding. This can cause formation of interaction zones on the cladding inner surface that have low mechanical strength and that can contain relatively low-melting phases. Significant in-pile and out-of-pile research has been performed to improve understanding of how FCCI affects fuel performance and also to identify ways to mitigate and possibly eliminate this phenomenon. In celebration of the diamond anniversary for the Journal of Nuclear Materials, this paper reviews and highlights key aspects of the metallic fuel FCCI research performed over the last 60 years, and discusses some of the most current research being performed today.