Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) system
Mixed oxides of uranium and plutonium (MOX) are currently considered reference fuels for the new generation of fast breeder reactors such as ASTRID. The key factor determining the performance and safety of fuel such as MOX is its operational limits in applied practice, which are closely related to t...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nuclear Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnuen.2024.1487828/full |
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| author | Leonid Burakovsky Dean L. Preston Andrew A. Green |
| author_facet | Leonid Burakovsky Dean L. Preston Andrew A. Green |
| author_sort | Leonid Burakovsky |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mixed oxides of uranium and plutonium (MOX) are currently considered reference fuels for the new generation of fast breeder reactors such as ASTRID. The key factor determining the performance and safety of fuel such as MOX is its operational limits in applied practice, which are closely related to the material’s structure and thermodynamic stability. They are, in turn, closely related to the ambient (zero pressure) melting point (Tm); thus, Tm is an important engineering parameter. However, the current knowledge of Tm of MOX is limited and controversial, as several reported studies do not converge on the unique behavior of Tm as a function of x. In this study, we present a theoretical model for the melting curve (liquidus) of a mixture and apply it to MOX considered a mixture of pure UO2 and PuO2. The model uses the known melting curves of pure constituents as an input and predicts the melting curve of their mixture. It has only one free parameter, which must be determined independently. In the case of MOX, Tm of MOX as a function of x as given by the model has a local minimum at x≈0.64, which disagrees slightly with our previous ab initio molecular dynamics studies that place this minimum at x=0.7. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eb49a66a201e4bbe91b39937b5578d65 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2813-3412 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Nuclear Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-eb49a66a201e4bbe91b39937b5578d652025-01-07T06:51:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nuclear Engineering2813-34122025-01-01310.3389/fnuen.2024.14878281487828Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) systemLeonid Burakovsky0Dean L. Preston1Andrew A. Green2Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United StatesComputational Physics Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United StatesTheoretical Design Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United StatesMixed oxides of uranium and plutonium (MOX) are currently considered reference fuels for the new generation of fast breeder reactors such as ASTRID. The key factor determining the performance and safety of fuel such as MOX is its operational limits in applied practice, which are closely related to the material’s structure and thermodynamic stability. They are, in turn, closely related to the ambient (zero pressure) melting point (Tm); thus, Tm is an important engineering parameter. However, the current knowledge of Tm of MOX is limited and controversial, as several reported studies do not converge on the unique behavior of Tm as a function of x. In this study, we present a theoretical model for the melting curve (liquidus) of a mixture and apply it to MOX considered a mixture of pure UO2 and PuO2. The model uses the known melting curves of pure constituents as an input and predicts the melting curve of their mixture. It has only one free parameter, which must be determined independently. In the case of MOX, Tm of MOX as a function of x as given by the model has a local minimum at x≈0.64, which disagrees slightly with our previous ab initio molecular dynamics studies that place this minimum at x=0.7.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnuen.2024.1487828/fullactinide oxidesmixed oxide fuelmixturesphase diagramquantum molecular dynamicsdensity functional theory |
| spellingShingle | Leonid Burakovsky Dean L. Preston Andrew A. Green Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) system Frontiers in Nuclear Engineering actinide oxides mixed oxide fuel mixtures phase diagram quantum molecular dynamics density functional theory |
| title | Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) system |
| title_full | Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) system |
| title_fullStr | Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) system |
| title_short | Liquidus curve of uranium–plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) system |
| title_sort | liquidus curve of uranium plutonium mixed oxide mox system |
| topic | actinide oxides mixed oxide fuel mixtures phase diagram quantum molecular dynamics density functional theory |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnuen.2024.1487828/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT leonidburakovsky liquiduscurveofuraniumplutoniummixedoxidemoxsystem AT deanlpreston liquiduscurveofuraniumplutoniummixedoxidemoxsystem AT andrewagreen liquiduscurveofuraniumplutoniummixedoxidemoxsystem |