About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T25: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Emergent Materials Under Extremes and Decisive In Situ Characterizations
|
| Presentation Title |
In Situ Ion Irradiation of Uranium Carbide |
| Author(s) |
Rashed Almasri, Wei-Ying Chen, Adrian R. Wagner, Jennifer K. Watkins, Laura Hawkins, Yuhan Li, Jian Gan, Lingfeng He |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Lingfeng He |
| Abstract Scope |
Uranium monocarbide (UC) is a promising nuclear fuel material for advanced reactors due to its higher uranium density, superior thermal conductivity, and better compatibility with carbon-based high-temperature materials—such as silicon carbide and graphite—compared to conventional oxide fuels. However, the microstructural evolution of single-phase UC under irradiation has been scarcely studied, primarily due to the challenges associated with handling this material. In this study, in situ ion irradiation using krypton and xenon ions was conducted to investigate the microstructural changes in UC under irradiation. Electron microscopy techniques were employed to characterize the size and density of dislocation loops and gas bubbles. The results were compared with those from uranium nitride, uranium oxide, and zirconium carbide under similar irradiation conditions to assess and contrast their radiation damage tolerance. |