About this Abstract |
Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
Symposium
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Neutron and X-ray Scattering in Materials Science
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Presentation Title |
Irradiated Graphite Across Microscopic to Mesoscopic Length-scales |
Author(s) |
Boris Khaykovich, David Sprouster, Anne Campbell, Durgesh Rai, Jan Ilavsky, Lance Snead |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Boris Khaykovich |
Abstract Scope |
Graphite is a fascinating material that has been prominent in nuclear reactors since the days of the Chicago Pile until today. When irradiated, graphite undergoes initial densification (or shrinkage) by as much as 10%, followed by swelling. The amount of radiation damage at which the swelled graphite’s volume equals that before irradiation determines the end of life of graphite parts and in some cases the life of the reactors themselves. This parameter has to be painstakingly measured for each new graphite type and each new irradiation condition. Given graphite’s enormous complexity and variability, reliable prediction of the irradiation response by molecular-dynamic simulations has not yet been possible. We used synchrotron SAXS and WAXS techniques to uncover the connection between the microstructure and radiation-induced changes during densification and swelling stages. We found that graphite swells even while lattice parameters (both a- and c-axes) shrink. We discuss the reasons for such behavior. |
Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
Keywords |
Characterization, Nuclear Materials, |