Manufacture and Properties of Robust Nuclear Fuels

In collaboration with Rolls-Royce and the Royce Institute, the project will manufacture and characterise representative quantities of fuel, in order to develop a mechanistic link between manufacturing parameters and fuel performance properties.

Research will initially focus on fabrication of UO2 microspheres (kernels) at partner institutions before manufacturing full sized fuel forms at Manchester and then characterising these using a range of leading techniques including electron microscopy (SEM, FIB, TEM), thermal analysis (simultaneous thermal analysis, laser flash, dilatometry) and fundamental materials science observations. All of the characterisation capability required is available within the Royce Institute active lab spaces, and is dedicated to uranium-based materials.