Thermal diffusivity of ATF cladding materials using laser flash technique

Abstract

Accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding materials are designed to improve the fuel behavior in normal operation while further enhancing the material performance in accidental scenarios. The paper presents experimental data on thermal diffusivity for five advanced cladding candidates considered as ATFs, evaluated over a wide temperature range using the laser flash technique. The measured data were evaluated to identify trends in thermophysical behavior in the investigated temperature range. Based on the results, correlations were established to describe the temperature dependence of thermal diffusivity for each material. The analysis also revealed characteristic differences in the thermal diffusivity for various candidates. These findings provide a comparative perspective on the heat transfer capabilities of the tested materials and offer a fundamental experimental basis for their further optimization in accident tolerant fuel applications.