Heavy ion irradiation of U–Mo/Al dispersion fuel

The usage of high-density U–Mo/Al dispersion fuel for high burn up in research and test reactors seems to be limited by the unfavourable interdiffusion layer between the fuel and the Al-matrix, which develops during irradiation. This interdiffusion layer was observed up to now only after costly and time consuming in-pile irradiation and could not be created in out-of-pile experiments. This paper presents a new approach of creating such an interdiffusion layer out-of-pile by irradiation with heavy ions. An appropriate choice of heavy-ion irradiation simulates irradiation damage and deposition of fission fragments as it happens during in-pile irradiation and induces a diffusion process between the fuel and the Al matrix. An irradiation experiment and post-irradiation examinations are presented.