Microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated and neutron irradiated TRISO-ZrC coatings
- Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond, VA (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Ibaraki Ken (Japan)
Six developmental sets of as-fabricated and heat-treated, near- and hyper-stoichiometric ZrC coated TRISO particles were subject to fast neutron (E > 0.1 MeV) fluences of 2 and 6 × 1025 neutrons/m2 at 800 and 1250 °C to assess the effects of irradiation on the coating microstructure and mechanical properties. Pre-irradiation microstructural analysis showed that the all but one of the near-stoichiometric samples fabricated by CVD had a homogenous grain structure while others including the hyper-stoichiometric sample had a distinct tiered band pattern with alternating carbon rich interlayers. The band structure in the near-stoichiometric samples became prominent following the heat treatment and the homogenous grained sample underwent severe grain growth. Post-irradiation observations indicated that neutron irradiation did not have any significant effects on the bulk microstructure of any of the samples regardless of the stoichiometry. Post-irradiation softening and reduction in modulus at the highest dose (6 dpa) were observed in all samples regardless of the composition and structure but were less significant in specimens with a banded microstructure. The carbon interlayers which contributed to the formation of the band structure had played a role in preserving the microstructure and the mechanical properties following both heat treatment and irradiation.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1265781
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 464, Issue 5; ISSN 0022-3115
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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