Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U3Si2 at LWR temperature

Yao, Tiankai; Gong, Bowen; He, Lingfeng; Harp, Jason; Tonks, Michael; Lian, Jie

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.027

Title: Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U₃Si₂ at LWR temperature

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Abstract

Here, U₃Si₂, an advanced fuel form proposed for light water reactors (LWR), has excellent thermal conductivity and a higher fissile element density. However, limited understanding of the radiation performance and fission gas behavior of U₃Si₂ is available at LWR conditions. This study explores the irradiation behavior of U₃Si₂ by 300 KeV Xe⁺ ion beam bombardment combining with in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. The crystal structure of U₃Si₂ is stable against radiation-induced amorphization at 350 °C even up to a very high dose of 64 displacements per atom (dpa). Grain subdivision of U₃Si₂ occurs at a relatively low dose of 0.8 dpa and continues to above 48 dpa, leading to the formation of high-density nanoparticles. Nano-sized Xe gas bubbles prevail at a dose of 24 dpa, and Xe bubble coalescence was identified with an increase of irradiation dose. The volumetric swelling resulting from Xe gas bubble formation and coalescence was estimated with respect to radiation dose, and a 2.2% volumetric swelling was observed for U₃Si₂ irradiated at 64 dpa considering fission gas only. Due to extremely high susceptibility to oxidation, the nano-sized U₃Si₂ grains upon radiationinduced grain subdivision were oxidized to nanocrystalline UO₂ in a high vacuum chamber for TEMmore »« less

Authors:

^[1]; Gong, Bowen ^[1];

^[2];

^[2]; Tonks, Michael ^[3]; Lian, Jie ^[1]

Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

Publication Date:: Thu Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1408885

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1549375

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-17-43580
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115; PII: S0022311517309613

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517; NE0008564; 17-835; AC07-051D14517

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Nuclear Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 498; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; irradiation; microstructure; nuclear fuel

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                    Yao, Tiankai, Gong, Bowen, He, Lingfeng, Harp, Jason, Tonks, Michael, and Lian, Jie. Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U3Si2 at LWR temperature.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.027.

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                    Yao, Tiankai, Gong, Bowen, He, Lingfeng, Harp, Jason, Tonks, Michael, & Lian, Jie. Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U3Si2 at LWR temperature.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.027

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                    Yao, Tiankai, Gong, Bowen, He, Lingfeng, Harp, Jason, Tonks, Michael, and Lian, Jie. Thu .  
"Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U3Si2 at LWR temperature".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.027.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1408885.

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@article{osti_1408885,

  title        = {Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U3Si2 at LWR temperature},

  author       = {Yao, Tiankai and Gong, Bowen and He, Lingfeng and Harp, Jason and Tonks, Michael and Lian, Jie},

  abstractNote = {Here, U3Si2, an advanced fuel form proposed for light water reactors (LWR), has excellent thermal conductivity and a higher fissile element density. However, limited understanding of the radiation performance and fission gas behavior of U3Si2 is available at LWR conditions. This study explores the irradiation behavior of U3Si2 by 300 KeV Xe+ ion beam bombardment combining with in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. The crystal structure of U3Si2 is stable against radiation-induced amorphization at 350 °C even up to a very high dose of 64 displacements per atom (dpa). Grain subdivision of U3Si2 occurs at a relatively low dose of 0.8 dpa and continues to above 48 dpa, leading to the formation of high-density nanoparticles. Nano-sized Xe gas bubbles prevail at a dose of 24 dpa, and Xe bubble coalescence was identified with an increase of irradiation dose. The volumetric swelling resulting from Xe gas bubble formation and coalescence was estimated with respect to radiation dose, and a 2.2% volumetric swelling was observed for U3Si2 irradiated at 64 dpa considering fission gas only. Due to extremely high susceptibility to oxidation, the nano-sized U3Si2 grains upon radiationinduced grain subdivision were oxidized to nanocrystalline UO2 in a high vacuum chamber for TEM observation, eventually leading to the formation of UO2 nanocrystallites up to 80 dpa.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.10.027},

  journal      = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 498,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Thu Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2017},

  month        = {Thu Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2017}

}

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Title: Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U3Si2 at LWR temperature

Abstract

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Title: Radiation-induced grain subdivision and bubble formation in U₃Si₂ at LWR temperature