NSUF - Nuclear Science User Facilities

Casey McKinney

Profile Information
Name
Dr. Casey McKinney
Institution
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Position
Postdoctoral Research Associate
h-Index
ORCID
0000-0003-3538-3614
Expertise
EBSD, EDS, FIB Tomography, Microscopy, Nuclear Materials
Publications:
"Characterization of solid fission products in 13.7% FIMA MOX fuel using electron microscopy techniques" Riley Parrish, Karen Wright, Alexander Winston, Jason Harp, Casey McKinney, Assel Aitkaliyeva, Journal of Nuclear Materials Vol. 524 2019 67-79 Link
This work utilizes electron microscopy-based techniques to examine the radial behavior of solid fission products in plutonium (Pu) bearing mixed oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated to a burnup of 13.7% fissions per initial metal atom (FIMA). Metallic precipitates primarily consist of five fission products: ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), technetium (Tc), molybdenum (Mo), and palladium (Pd). The five metal precipitates (FMPs) examined in this work have low concentrations of Pd and Mo, with no major compositional differences along the fuel radius. A secondary Pd–Te metallic phase forms in cooler regions of the pellet, likely due to the diffusion of gaseous species away from the central void. X-ray chemical maps indicate that the Pd–Te phase can nucleate on the surface of FMPs before precipitating into separate particles. These particles were also found to alloy with iron (Fe) near the surface of the fuel pellet due to interdiffusion with the stainless-steel cladding. The insoluble perovskite oxide phase was found to form near the central void and at intermediate radial positions, but not at the fuel edge. These findings suggest that solid fission product phases form at varying counts and compositions along the fuel pellet radius, and thus should be considered when describing the thermal behavior of the fuel.
Presentations:
"Three-Dimensional Microstructural Characterization of the Peripheral Region in FBR MOX Fuel" Riley Parrish, Assel Aitkaliyeva, Casey McKinney, Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) October 6-10, (2019) Link
NSUF Articles:
DOE Awards 33 Rapid Turnaround Experiment Research Proposals - Projects total approximately $1.5 million These projects will continue to advance the understanding of irradiation effects in nuclear fuels and materials in support of the mission of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy. Monday, May 14, 2018 - Calls and Awards
RTE 1st Call Awards Announced - Projects total approximately $1.4 million These projects will continue to advance the understanding of irradiation effects in nuclear fuels and materials in support of the mission of the DOE-NE. Friday, February 8, 2019 - Calls and Awards
DOE Awards 31 RTE Proposals, Opens FY-20 1st Call - Projects total $1.1 million; Next proposals due 10/31 Awards will go to 22 principal investigators from universities, six from national laboratories, and three from foreign universities. Tuesday, September 17, 2019 - Calls and Awards, Announcement
NSUF Research Helps Support Student Researchers - Leading and assisting on NSUF projects, students can get hands on experience The opportunities for student-led research are nearly endless Friday, January 24, 2020 - Newsletter
Department of Energy Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards 29 Rapid Turnaround Experiment Proposals - Awarded projects total nearly $1.14M in access awards Tuesday, June 8, 2021 - News Release, Calls and Awards
NSUF awards 30 Rapid Turnaround Experiment proposals - Approximately $1.53M has been awarded. Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - Calls and Awards

About Us

The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) is the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy's only designated nuclear energy user facility. Through peer-reviewed proposal processes, the NSUF provides researchers access to neutron, ion, and gamma irradiations, post-irradiation examination and beamline capabilities at Idaho National Laboratory and a diverse mix of university, national laboratory and industry partner institutions.

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