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''Safe-failure'' is an important criterion for power reactor fuel elements designed to contain core materials which react rapidly with high-temperature coolant. Out-of-pile experiments indicate that, without a ''safe-failure'' fuel element, expensive and possibly catastrophic reactor shutdowns may occur if the fuel element jacket fails during irradiation in high temperature water. That jacket failures occasionally will occur, regardless of the material or fabrication process involved, seems to be generally agreed. Fuel elements involving cluster arrangements, oxide cores, and wafer assemblies with ''bulkheads'' for compartmentalization have been proposed as being relatively safe in event of jacket failure. A fourth possibility is a type of long cartridge fuel element.