Recent trends in metallic fast reactor fuels research

Metallic nuclear fuels have been extensively investigated for more than 60 years. Early studies noted that metallic fuels exhibit characteristic irradiation behaviors that set them apart from oxide fuels. By performing a critical review of historical data, the current gaps in the understanding of metallic U-Zr and U-Pu-Zr fuels (e.g., constituent redistribution, swelling and fission gas release) and recommendations for future research direction can be identified. This paper reviews and highlights the key aspects of the metallic fuel irradiation behaviors, with respect to the gaps in current understanding, based on the research performed in the past 3 years. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Metallic nuclear fuels have been extensively studied for over 60 years, showing distinctive irradiation behaviors compared to oxide fuels. Current gaps in understanding and recommendations for future research direction are identified for metallic U-Zr and U-Pu-Zr fuels. This review highlights key aspects of metallic fuel irradiation behaviors and points out areas for further research based on recent studies.