Mechanical properties and XRD studies of silicon carbide inert matrix fuel fabricated by a low temperature polymer precursor route

The mechanical properties of silicon carbide (SiC) inert matrix fuel (IMF) pellets fabricated by a low temperature (1050 °C) polymer precursor route were evaluated at room temperature. The Vickers hardness was mainly related to the chemical bonding strength between the amorphous SiC phase and the β-SiC particles. The biaxial fracture strength with pre-notch and fracture toughness were found to be mostly controlled by the pellet density. The maximum Vickers hardness, biaxial fracture strength with pre-notch and fracture toughness achieved were 5.6 GPa, 201 MPa and 2.9 MPa m1/2 respectively. These values appear to be superior to the reference MOX or UO2 fuels. Excellent thermal shock resistance for the fabricated SiC IMF was proven and the values were compared to conventional UO2 pellets. XRD studies showed that ceria (PuO2 surrogate) chemically reacted with the polymer precursor during sintering, forming cerium oxysilicate. Whether PuO2 will chemically react in a similar manner remains unclear.