The development of nuclear energy in Romania by commissioning of new units at Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) requires the nuclear fuel safety strengthening and implicitly the development and improvement of techniques to investigate the processes which take place in the fuel, in order to obtain relevant information concerning:

1. Maneuvre regimes or power rampings;
2. Nuclear fuel behaviour in accident conditions generated by reactivity and loss of coolant;
3. Fuel element failure kinetics and fission product release.

             The Post-Irradiation Examination Laboratory (LEPI) of SCN Piteşti has the capability to examine the nuclear fuel and structural materials from CANDU reactor by typical methods, however to obtain relevant informations concerning their performance, need some additional equipments for microanalysis.
            The microstructural analysis has the purpose to monitor changes in the microstructure of the irradiated fuel and cladding which could affect the release of fission products into the element void and hence into the coolant water. The grain size, fission gas porosity, the rim effect and fuel inhomogeneity will all influence fission product release. Cladding/fuel interaction, the extent of corrosion of the cladding, the amount and morphology of the hydride precipitates (a consequence of corrosion) and the extent of radiation damage will affect the ability of the cladding to remain intact during irradiation.
            The techniques which allow the fuel and cladding microanalysis include Optical Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy.
            Consequently, the project purpose is to endow the extant laboratory by performance equipments for investigation and analysis in order to increase its research capability:

• Optical microscope for radioactive materials;
• Scanning electron microscope (SEM);
• Milling machine for preparation of radioactive samples for mechanical testing.