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Title: Microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated and neutron irradiated TRISO-ZrC coatings

Abstract

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.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [2]
  1. Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond, VA (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Ibaraki Ken (Japan)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
OSTI Identifier:
1265781
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Nuclear Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 464; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Vasudevamurthy, Gokul, Katoh, Yutai, Aihara, Jun, Sawa, Kazuhiro, and Snead, Lance Lewis. Microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated and neutron irradiated TRISO-ZrC coatings. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.04.026.
Vasudevamurthy, Gokul, Katoh, Yutai, Aihara, Jun, Sawa, Kazuhiro, & Snead, Lance Lewis. Microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated and neutron irradiated TRISO-ZrC coatings. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.04.026
Vasudevamurthy, Gokul, Katoh, Yutai, Aihara, Jun, Sawa, Kazuhiro, and Snead, Lance Lewis. 2015. "Microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated and neutron irradiated TRISO-ZrC coatings". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.04.026.
@article{osti_1265781,
title = {Microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated and neutron irradiated TRISO-ZrC coatings},
author = {Vasudevamurthy, Gokul and Katoh, Yutai and Aihara, Jun and Sawa, Kazuhiro and Snead, Lance Lewis},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.04.026},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1265781}, journal = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},
issn = {0022-3115},
number = 5,
volume = 464,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Fri Apr 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}