Characterisation of irradiated nuclear fuel with SIMS

In addition to optical microscopy, SEM, EPMA and XRD, a shielded SIMS was designed and installed in our laboratory with the aim of providing information on the behaviour of nuclear fuel, in reactor and on also in storage conditions. For that purpose, the studies performed with SIMS on irradiated nuclear fuel were focused on three main axis: (1) the nuclear reactions occurring during in core irradiation which are characterised with isotopic ratio measurements, (2) the physical and chemical behaviour of fission products which is evidenced by isotopic cartography and (3) characterisation of fission gases, especially the gases filling bubbles in the UO2 ceramics, which requires the development of new methods. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.