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J. K. Bahl, M. D. Freshley
Nuclear Technology | Volume 15 | Number 2 | August 1972 | Pages 114-124
Technical Paper | Plutonium Utilization in Commercial Power Reactors / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT72-A31142
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Plutonium and fission product migration were studied in a low burnup vibrationally compacted UO2-2 wt% PuO2 specimen utilizing autoradiography, micro sampling, microgamma scanning, and shielded electron microprobe analytical techniques. The results show that a significant change in radial plutonium concentration can occur rapidly in high performance mixed-oxide fuels by a vapor transport mechanism that is coincident with the fuel restructuring phenomenon. This results from the condensation of uranium-rich vapor in the cooler peripheral regions of the fuel rod. Cesium, ruthenium, and rhodium migrate significantly in mixed-oxide fuels, whereas zirconium, niobium, cerium, and praseodymium do not redistribute significantly.