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Title: High Dose Neutron Irradiation of Hi-Nicalon Type S Silicon Carbide Composites, Part 2. Mechanical and Physical Properties

Journal Article · · Journal of Nuclear Materials
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  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Aomori-ken (Japan)

Nuclear-grade silicon carbide (SiC) composite material was examined for mechanical and thermophysical properties following high-dose neutron irradiation in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at a temperature range of 573–1073 K. Likewise, the material was chemical vapor-infiltrated SiC-matrix composite with a two-dimensional satin weave Hi-Nicalon Type S SiC fiber reinforcement and a multilayered pyrocarbon/SiC interphase. Moderate (1073 K) to very severe (573 K) degradation in mechanical properties was found after irradiation to >70 dpa, whereas no evidence was found for progressive evolution in swelling and thermal conductivity. The swelling was found to recover upon annealing beyond the irradiation temperature, indicating the irradiation temperature, but only to a limited extent. Moreover, the observed strength degradation is attributed primarily to fiber damage for all irradiation temperatures, particularly a combination of severe fiber degradation and likely interphase damage at relatively low irradiation temperatures.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1195802
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1246604
Journal Information:
Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 462, Issue 6; ISSN 0022-3115
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 49 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (5)

Interlaboratory round robin study on axial tensile properties of SiC-SiC CMC tubular test specimens journal May 2018
Ion irradiation effect on spark plasma sintered silicon carbide ceramics with nanostructured ferritic alloy aid journal March 2018
Preparation and characterization of near-stoichiometric silicon carbon fibres journal January 2018
Irradiation-induced β to α SiC transformation at low temperature journal April 2017
Microstructure of SiC fibers by swift heavy ion beam irradiation journal July 2019