b'Nanostructuring of uraniumNanostructures synthesized within the metallic nuclear fuel system improves based metallic fuels viafuel performance and longevity within the reactor, extending its fuel economy.spark plasma sintering T his project developed a viable and repeatable method for synthesizing uranium nitride nanostructures within a uranium-molybdenum (U-10Mo wt.%) fuel matrix using mechanical alloying under a high purity nitrogen atmosphere. The internal nanostructuring that forms within the metal fuel will provide a mechanism for improving its performance within a reactor. Atomistic modeling based on density function theory and paired with machine learning predicted that a coherent/semi-coherent interface between the nanostructures and PROJECT NUMBER:the fuel matrix will act as a sink for both gaseous and solid fission products produced 21A1050-128FP within the fuel through its in-reactor lifetime. Demonstrating that a uranium TOTAL APPROVED AMOUNT:nitride nanostructure within the U-10Mo matrix can lead to an overall reduction $760,000 over 3 years in the volumetric swelling of the fuel and mitigate internal cladding attack by lanthanide fission products produced within the fuel, this in turn minimizes impacts PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:of fuel-cladding mechanical interaction and fuel-cladding chemical interactionNathan Jerred phenomena that plagues metallic fuel. To fabricate uranium nitride nanostructured CO-INVESTIGATORS: U-10Mo powder into a solid compact, EFAS (also known as spark plasma sintering) Adrian Wagner, INL was used as an enabling technology to rapidly consolidate the powder without James Zillinger, INL coarsening the nanostructures or dissociating the uranium nitride compound. To Indrajit Charit, University of Idaho simulate the formation of gaseous fission products, helium ion implantation was Samrat Choudhury, University of Mississippi undertaken at Texas A&M University on sintered uranium nitride nanostructured U-10Mo fuel. Further, to simulate the formation of solid fission products, sintered COLLABORATOR: uranium nitride nanostructured U-10Mo fuel was doped with neodymium and heat Texas A&M University treated at 500C for up to 1000 hours. The resulting microstructure of these samples were characterized using high-resolution microscopy techniques to visualize the migration and location of the He gas bubbles and Nd atoms and their interaction with the uranium nitride nanostructures within the fuel matrix.100'