Title: Mass spectrometric studies on irradiated (U, Pu) mixed carbide fuel of FBTR

Authors: R. Balasubramanian,, D. Darwin Albert Raj, S. Nalini, M. Sai Baba

Addresses: Fuel Chemistry Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Fuel Chemistry Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Fuel Chemistry Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Fuel Chemistry Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: Mass spectrometry was employed to characterise the irradiated mixed carbide fuel of fast breeder test reactor (FBTR) for assessing its performance: thermal ionisation mass spectrometry to determine the isotopic composition, concentrations of U, Pu and Nd in the dissolver solutions and to deduce the burn-up, and a quadrupole mass spectrometric system to obtain the percentage release of fission gases (Kr + Xe). A summary and analysis of the results obtained with the fuel at 25,000 and 50,000 MWd/t in these studies is given in this paper.

Keywords: mass spectrometry; spent fuel; burn-up; isotopic composition; fission gas; fast breeder test reactors; FBYR; nuclear power; nuclear energy; irradiated mixed carbide fuel; nuclear fuel cycle.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2005.007143

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2005 Vol.1 No.2/3, pp.197 - 203

Published online: 29 May 2005 *

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