CX-270025: Radiation Effects on High Thermal Conductivity Fuel Surrogates - University of Tennessee 

The University of Tennessee, in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), proposes to examine three main scientific feasibility issues associated with high conductivity composite fuels. The first task is to examine the role of nanoscale dimensions on the suppression of grain boundary cracking in irradiated HCP ceramic materials. The second task is to evaluate whether a suitable operational temperature window might exist for high thermal conductivity composite phases in fuel systems. The third task will explore the irradiated phase stability of fine-scale ceramic additives embedded in a surrogate fuel.