Ceramics for a New Generation of Nuclear Energy Systems and Applications: Poster Session
Sponsored by: TMS Nuclear Materials Committee, ACerS Energy Materials and Systems (EMSD) Division
Program Organizers: Ming Tang, Clemson University; Enrique Martinez Saez, Clemson University; Yongfeng Zhang, University of Wisconsin; Krista Carlson, University of Nevada, Reno; Yutai Katoh, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Jean Paul Crocombette, CEA Saclay; Erofili Kardoulaki, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Levi Gardner, Argonne National Laboratory; Jian Zhang, Xiamen University; Charmayne Lonergan, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Monday 5:00 PM
October 10, 2022
Room: Ballroom BC
Location: David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Session Chair: Ming Tang, Clemson University

J-1: Development and Characterization of Ga/Ta Doped Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ for Direct LiT Electrolysis: Rahul Rajeev¹; Shraddha Jadhava¹; Brenda Garcia-Diaz²; Christopher Dandeneau²; Dale Hitchcock²; Kyle Brinkman¹; ¹Clemson University; ²Savannah River National Laboratory
    Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂(LLZO) has proven to be an excellent material for all-solid-state battery electrolytes with good stability and ionic conductivity. In this work, LLZO is being developed for use in a direct lithium tritide (LiT) electrolysis process for hydrogen isotope extraction from Lead Lithium (Li-Pb) blanket in a nuclear fusion reactor. Three different routes were used to synthesize phase pure LLZO with the addition of aliovalent dopants Gallium (Ga) and Tantalum (Ta) used to stabilize the high conducting cubic LLZO phase. The stability was studied by immersing LLZO powders and sintered pellets in the Li-Pb blanket material at 450^oC in an inert environment for several hours. Post exposure characterization tests were performed including powder X-ray diffraction(PXRD) Rietveld analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis to detect potential phase degradation.

J-2: Evaluation of In-Flow Mechanical Robustness of Metal-Functionalized Porous Silica Materials: Muhammad Ali¹; Karthikeyan Baskaran¹; Casey Elliott¹; Dave Cohrs¹; Brian Riley²; Krista Carlson¹; ¹University of Reno; ²Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
    Growing concerns over the lack of safe permanent disposal of nuclear waste has fueled vast research to develop innovative materials capable of capturing and immobilizing radioactive waste, such as radioactive iodine (129I). Silica-based porous sorbents offer many intrinsic qualities such as high surface area, chemical stability, ease of functionalization and transformability into a stable waste form that make them promising candidates for capturing and immobilizing 129I. Their commercial implementation is contingent on their ability to mechanically withstand gas flow conditions. This work attempts to study the in-flow mechanical behavior of metal-functionalized silica sorbents by observing and measuring the amount of mass lost by the material. Material lost is observed by a capacitance-based in-flow particle detector, and mass loss is measured by a quartz crystal microbalance.

Cancelled
J-3: Preparation of High Entropy Zirconate and Titanite Pyrochlores and Further Radiation Damage Study: Adam Gootgeld¹; Roberto Menchaca¹; Ming Tang¹; ¹Clemson University
    This study is intended to examine the efficacy of a new class of oxides for radwaste storage, specifically the recently conceived high-entropy oxide (HEO) pyrochlore. The objective is to develop an advanced nuclear waste form capable of immobilizing multiple dissimilar and long-lived radionuclides. We have established a consistent method to fabricate high entropy zirconate and titanite pyrochlores. A pyrochlore structure is a member of the fluorite family and is characterized by an oxygen vacancy in the lattice and a Cation-Anion ratio of ~1.75. Confirmation of the desired structure and composition was accomplished with X-ray Diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Through trial and error, we were able to develop a method that consistently produced samples with a pyrochlore structure. This consistency is necessary to conduct future studies on the effects of radiation damage on the structure to assess its viability for future use in nuclear waste forms.