Uranium nitride advanced fuel: an evaluation of the oxidation resistance of coated and doped grains

The oxidation behaviour of the composite UN-AlN, UN-Cr2N/CrN and UN-AlN-Cr2N/CrN pellets in air and anoxic steam under thermal transient conditions was investigated and compared with the pure UN pellet. The composite pellets were manufactured to contain the engineered microstructure of coated (the addition of matrix-insoluble AlN) and doped (the addition of matrix-soluble Cr2N/CrN) grains.