Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Front-end investigations of the coated particles of nuclear fuel samples - ion polishing method

  • Krajewska, Zuzanna M. (National Centre for Nuclear Research) ;
  • Buchwald, Tomasz (Poznan University of Technology, Institute of Materials Research and Quantum Engineering) ;
  • Tokarski, Tomasz (Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, AGH University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Gudowski, Wacław (National Centre for Nuclear Research)
  • Received : 2021.09.01
  • Accepted : 2021.12.02
  • Published : 2022.06.25
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The investigations of the coated-particles of nuclear fuel samples are carried out in three stages: front-end, irradiation in the reactor core, and post-irradiation examination. The front-end stage is the initial analysis of the failures rates of produced samples before they are placed in the reactor core. The purpose of the verification is to prepare the particles for an experiment that will determine the degree of damage to the coated particles at each stage. Before starting experiments with the samples, they must be properly prepared. Polishing the samples in order to uncover the inner layers is an important, initial experimental step. The authors of this paper used a novel way to prepare samples for testing - by applying an ion polisher. Mechanical polishing used frequently for sample preparations generates additional mechanical damages in the studied fuel particle, thus directly affecting the experimental results. The polishing methods were compared for three different coated particles using diagnostic methods such as Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that the ion polishing method is better because the level of interference with the structures of the individual layers of the tested samples is much lower than with the mechanical method. The same technique is used for the fuel particles undergone ion implantation simulating radiation damage that can occur in the reactor core.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The experiments were conducted thanks to the collaboration with Dr. Michael A. Futterer (European Commission - Joint Research Center). We gladly acknowledge his invaluable support.

References

  1. NGNP, Fuel Qualification White Paper, INL, INL/EXT-10-17686, 2010.
  2. High Temperature, High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Fuels and Materials, IAEA-TECDOC-1645, 2010.
  3. A. Sowder, C. Marciulescu, Uranium Oxycarbide (UCO) Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO) Coated Particle Fuel Performance, Topical Report EPRI-AR-1 (NP), Technical Report, 2019.
  4. K. Verfondern, H. Nabielek, M.J. Kania, H.J. Allelein, High-Quality Thorium TRISO Fuel Performance in HTGRs, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 2013.
  5. P.A. Demkowicz, B. Liu, J.D. Hunn, Coated particle fuel: historical perspectives and current progress, J. Nucl. Mater. 515 (2019) 434-450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.09.044
  6. P.A. Demkowicz, D. Marshall, J. Palmer, G. Hawkes, J. Sterbentz, TRISO fuel experience and capabilities in the DOE advanced gas reactor program, ART INL, in: GAIN-EPRI-NEI Advanced Fuels Workshop March 5-6, Boise State University, 2019.
  7. J. Wang, An Integrated Performance Model for High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Coated Particle Fuel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004.
  8. G.W. Helmreich, J.D. Hunn, J.W. McMurray, R.D. Hunt, B.C. Jolly, M.P. Trammell, D.R. Brown, B.J. Blamer, T.J. Reif, H.T. Kim, Year One Summary of X-Energy Pebble Fuel Development at ORNL, ORNL/TM-2017/337, 2017.
  9. H.X. Xu, J. Lin, J.J. Li, Z.Y. Zhu, G.L. Zeng, J.D. Liu, B.C. Gu, B. Liu, Characterization the microstructure and defects of matrix graphite irradiated with Xe ions, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 406 (2017) 638-642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2017.03.159
  10. E.S. Kim, Y.W. Kim, Characterization of 3 MeV H+ irradiation induced defects in nuclear grade graphite, Solid State Commun. 150 (2010) 1633-1636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2010.06.036
  11. L.P. Rodriguez Garcia, D.M. Perez, C.R. Garcia Hernandez, D.E. Milian Lorenzo, C.A. Brayner de Oliveira Lira, Development of a Methodology for the Evaluation of the Thermomechanical Behavior of the TRISO Fuel, INAC, 2017.
  12. H.J. Sarmah, D. Mohanta, Emergence of Raman active D- band and unusually suppressed conductivity mediated by nanoscale defects in pencil-lead graphitic systems under 80 keV Xe+ ion irradiation, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 463 (2020) 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2019.11.018
  13. D. Helary, O. Dugne, X. Bourrat, Advanced characterization techniques for SiC and PyC coatings on high-temperature reactor fuel particles, J. Nucl. Mater. 373 (2008) 150-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.05.041
  14. G. Zheng, P. Xu, K. Sridharan, T. Allen, Characterization of structural defects in nuclear graphite IG-110 and NBG-18, J. Nucl. Mater. 446 (2014) 193-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.12.013
  15. C.M. Efaw, J.L. Vandegrift, M. Reynolds, S. McMurdie, B.J. Jaques, H. Hu, H. Xiong, M.F. Hurley, Characterization of zirconium oxides part I: Raman mapping and spectral feature analysis, Nucl. Mater. Energy 21 (2019) 100707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2019.100707
  16. P. B Arberis, T. Merle-Mejean, P. Quintard, On Raman spectroscopy of zirconium oxide films, J. Nucl. Mater. 246 (1997) 232-243. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(97)00038-X
  17. H. Wu, R. Gakhar, A. Chen, S. Lam, C.P. Marshall, R.O. Scarlat, Comparative analysis of microstructure and reactive sites for nuclear graphite IG-110 and graphite matrix A3, J. Nucl. Mater. 528 (2020) 151802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.151802
  18. O.A. Maslova, M.R. Ammar, G. Guimbretiere, J.N. Rouzaud, P. Simon, Determination of crystallite size in polished graphitized carbon by Raman spectroscopy, Phys. Rev. B 86 (2012) 134205. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.86.134205
  19. M.R. Ammar, N. Galy, J.N. Rouzaud, N. Toulhoat, C.E. Vaudey, P. Simon, N. Moncoffre, Characterizing various types of defects in nuclear graphite using Raman scattering: heat treatment, ion irradiation and polishing, Carbon 95 (2015) 364-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2015.07.095
  20. M. Couzi, J.-L. Bruneel, D. Talaga, L. Bokobza, A multi wavelength Raman scattering study of defective graphitic carbon materials: the first order Raman spectra revisited, Carbon 107 (2016) 388-394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2016.06.017