Categorical Exclusion Determination
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
August 8, 2016
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Pennsylvania State University, in collaboration with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Idaho National Laboratory, proposes to investigate the potential impact of grain structure change, specifically grain growth, subdivision, and amorphization, on U3Si2 LWR fuel. U3Si2 samples will be fabricated, and then conventional powder metallurgy is applied to successfully form dense U3Si2 pellets with a density greater than 94% of theoretical. Polycrystal and bicrystal annealing experiments will be conducted to determine the reduced grain boundary mobility for specific grain boundary types. In order to determine if LWR fuel will amorphize during reactor operation, ion irradiation will be employed.