PENGARUH TEMPERATUR DAN KOMPOSISI Nb TERHADAP INTERDIFUSI PADUAN U-Zr-Nb

Abstract

A simulation of U-Zr-Nb intermixed fuel has been carried out with aluminum plates. Initially, U-6Zr-2Nb, U-6Zr-5Nb, and U-6Zr-8Nb alloy ingots were made using an electric arc melting furnace. The ingot obtained was cut into pieces with a thickness of 2-3 mm and a diameter of about 5-6 mm, then it was covered Al plate on one side and pressed. After pressing, the alloy ingots of U-6Zr-2Nb, U-6Zr-5Nb, and U-6Zr-8Nb were heated at temperatures of 350 and 450 ^oC for 1 hour. The ingot was subjected to several tests, namely microstructure examination using optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS), hardness test using microhardness tester, and phase observation using X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The results of microstructure examination show that the boundaries between the U-6Zr-2Nb, U-6Zr-5Nb, and U-6Zr-8Nb layers (interfaces) and the Al layer were clearly visible. The higher of the Nb content, the denser the interface between the two layers. For the microhardness test, we found that the hardness at the interface was difficult to measure, while the U-Zr-Nb region shows an increase in hardness for heating from 350 to 450 ^oC, while in the Al section there is a decrease in hardness when the heating temperature increases from 350 to 450 ^oC. UO₃ compounds were formed in all test samples while the γ-U phase was formed in U-6Zr-2Nb samples both heated at temperatures of 350 and 450 ^oC.