Thermally-Conductive and Mechanically-Robust Graphene Nanoplatelet Reinforced UO₂ Composite Nuclear Fuels.

ABSTRACT: Low thermal transport behavior along the radial direction of nuclear fuel pellets and pellet-cladding mechanical interaction significantly impact fuel performance and the safety of current nuclear energy systems. Here we report a new strategy of advanced fuel design in which highly thermally-conductive and mechanically-robust graphene nanoplatelets are incorporated into UO₂ fuel matrix to improve fuel thermal-mechanical properties. The 2D geometry of the graphene nanoplatelets enables a unique lamellar structure upon fuel consolidation by spark plasma sintering. The thermal conductivity along the radial direction of the sintered fuel pellets at room temperature reaches 12.7 and 19.1 wm^-1K^-1 at 1 wt.% and 5 wt.% loadings of the graphene nanoplatelets, respec

SUBMITTER: Yao T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5812999 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature