| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T21: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Probing Defect Properties and Behavior under Mechanical Deformation and Extreme Conditions
|
| Presentation Title |
Studying Radiation Effects in Nuclear Fuels via Advanced Characterization and Modeling |
| Author(s) |
Lingfeng He, Kaustubh Bawane, Tiankai Yao, Pengyuan Xiu, Marat Khafizov, Miaomiao Jin, Chao Jiang, Cody Dennett, Zilong Hua, Anter El-Azab, David Hurley, Jian Gan |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Lingfeng He |
| Abstract Scope |
In radiation environments, the degradation of mechanical properties, corrosion/oxidation resistance, and thermal conductivity of materials has been associated with defect generation and composition redistribution in the microstructure. Radiation creates point defects (vacancies, interstitials) and also extended defects, such as dislocation loops and cavities. In some cases, element segregation, phase transition and chemical interactions could also happen. Ceramic nuclear fuels have been widely used in light water reactors and proposed as candidates for advanced reactors. In this work, we study the defect and phase evolution at early stage in oxide and nitride nuclear fuels using a combination of in situ/ex situ ion irradiation, advanced characterization and modeling. In addition, the effects of defects on thermal transport in nuclear fuels are probed using modulated thermoreflectance techniques. Investigating these early-stage microstructural changes is of significance in understanding the performance degradation of nuclear fuels in reactor environments. |