Structural and mechanical characterization of ion-irradiated glassy polymeric carbon for TRISO fuel nuclear application

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2012

Abstract

Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel is considered as the fuel design of choice for the next generation of nuclear reactors (Generation IV). Its design consists of a fuel kernel of UO x coated with several layers having different functions. One of these functions is a containment shell/diffusion barrier for the fission fragments. Normally, the material of choice for this shell is pyrolytic carbon (PyC). The material does not offer a perfect barrier, due to its inherent crystalline structure, which is planar (like graphite) and therefore impossible to mold in one continuous sheet around the spherical fuel bead. Plane boundaries allow fragment diffusion at a much higher rate than through the plane. In this study, we investigate the possibility of replacing PyC with a different form of carbon, glassy polymeric carbon (GPC). We prepared samples of GPC and studied the evolution of their physical properties and structure as a function of the radiation environment that they were exposed to. The temperature at which the samples were held during irradiation was very similar to the Generation IV nuclear reactor (?1000°C). During the fission of U 235, the fission fragment mass distribution has two maxima around 98 and 137 amu, which would best correspond to elements Rb and Cs, respectively. However, both ions are hard to produce from our SNICS ion source at the Center for Irradiation of Materials; therefore, we used 107Ag and 197Au as best replacements. The irradiation sessions consisted in various fluences of 5MeV Ag, and 5MeV Au. For elemental sample analysis, we used transmission electron microscopy. For mechanical analysis, we used nano-indentation. It is of prime importance to measure the penetration of the implanted 107Ag.and 197Au and the evolution of mechanical properties of GPC irradiated with these ions. A procedure for manufacturing GPC with analysis is presented. This will show how the GPC structure differs as the temperature that it is prepared at increases and how GPC hardness and Young's modulus increased after irradiation. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS