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A new type of high density fuel is needed for the conversion of research and test reactors from high to lower enriched uranium. The most promising one is a dispersion of atomized uranium-molybdenum (U–Mo) particles in an Al matrix. However, during in-pile irradiation the growth of an interaction layer between the U–Mo and the Al matrix strongly limits the fuel’s performance. To improve the in-pile behaviour, the U–Mo particles can be coated with protective layers. The SELENIUM (Surface Engineering of Low ENrIched Uranium–Molybdenum) fuel development project consists of the production, irradiation and post-irradiation examination of 2 flat, full-size dispersion fuel plates containing respectively Si and ZrN coated U–Mo atomized powder dispersed in a pure Al matrix. In this paper X-ray diffraction analyses of the Si and ZrN layers after deposition, fuel plate manufacturing and thermal annealing are reported. It was found for the U–Mo particles coated with ZrN (thickness 1 μm), that the layer is crystalline, and exhibits lower density than the theoretical one. Fuel plate manufacturing does not strongly influence these crystallographic features. For the U–Mo particles coated with Si (thickness 0.6 μm), the measurements of the as received material suggest an amorphous state of the deposited layer. Fuel plate manufacturing strongly modifies its composition: Si reacts with the U–Mo particles and the Al matrix to grow U(Al, Si) 3 and U 3 Si 5 phases. Finally both coatings have shown excellent performances under thermal treatment by limiting drastically the U–Mo/Al interdiffusion.

Several irradiation experiments have confirmed the positive effect of adding Si to the matrix of an U(Mo) dispersion fuel plate on its in-pile irradiation behavior. E-FUTURE, the first experiment of the LEONIDAS program, was performed to select an optimum Si concentration and fuel plate heat treatment parameters for further qualification. It consisted of the irradiation of 4 distinct (regarding Si content and heat treatments), full size flat fuel plates in the BR2 reactor under bounding conditions (470 W/cm 2 peak BOL power, ∼70% peak burn-up). After the irradiation, the E-FUTURE plates were examined non-destructively and found to have pillowed in the highest burn-up positions. The destructive post-irradiation examination confirmed that the fuel evolves in a stable way up to a burn-up of 60% 235 U. Even in the deformed area (pillow) the U(Mo) fuel itself shows stable behavior and remaining matrix material was present. From the calculation of the volume fractions, the positive effect of a higher Si amount added to the matrix and the higher annealing temperature can be derived.

In the framework of the elimination of High-Enriched Uranium (HEU) from the civil circuit, the search for an appropriate fuel to replace the high-enriched research reactor fuel in those reactors that currently still require it for their operation has led to the development of a U–7 wt.%Mo alloy based dispersion fuel with an Al–Si matrix. The European LEONIDAS program, joining SCK•CEN, ILL, CEA and AREVA-CERCA, is aimed at the qualification of such a fuel for the use in high power conditions. The first experiment of the program, designated E-FUTURE, was performed to select the appropriate matrix Si concentration and fuel plate post-production heat treatment parameters for further qualification. It consisted of the irradiation of four distinct (4% and 6% Si, 3 different heat treatments) full size, flat fuel plates in the BR2 reactor. The irradiation conditions were relatively severe: 470 W/cm 2 peak BOL power, with a ∼70% 235 U peak burnup.

In the framework of the IRIS-TUM irradiation program, several full size, flat dispersion fuel plates containing ground U(Mo) fuel kernels in an aluminum matrix, with and without addition of silicon (2.1 wt.%), have been irradiated in the OSIRIS reactor. The highest irradiated fuel plate (with an Al–Si matrix) reached a local maximum burnup of 88.3% 235 U LEU-equivalent and showed a maximum thickness increase of 323 μm (66%) but remained intact. This paper reports the post irradiation examination results obtained on four IRIS-TUM plates. The evolution of the fission gas behavior in this fuel type from homogeneously dispersed nanobubbles to the eventual formation of large but apparently stable fission gas bubbles at the interface of the interaction layer and the fuel kernel is illustrated. It is also shown that the observed moderate, but positive effect of Si as inhibitor for the U(Mo)–Al interaction is related to the dispersion of this element in the interaction layer, although its concentration is very inhomogeneous and appears to be too low to fully inhibit interaction layer growth.