Reducing fuel-cladding chemical interaction: The effect of palladium on the reactivity of neodymium on iron in diffusion couples

Fast-reactor fuel alloys produce lanthanide fission products which migrate to the fuel/cladding interface causing fuel-cladding chemical interaction. To test viability of pinning these lanthanides, neodymium was selected as an iron interacting lanthanide and palladium was chosen as the dopant. An arc-melt produced 1:1 neodymium–palladium compound and pure neodymium were tested against iron in diffusion couples at temperatures above and below the Nd–Fe eutectic melting point.