About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T26: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramics and Glasses for Nuclear Energy Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Design Defects in Nuclear Fuels Using Boron Neutron Capture Method |
| Author(s) |
Sadman Sakib, Ming Liu, Adrian Wagner, Jennifer Watkins, Kaustubh Bawane, Lingfeng He |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Lingfeng He |
| Abstract Scope |
Boron neutron capture method is used to create homogeneous defects in nuclear fuels. UO2–UB2 composite fuel containing natural boron was investigated as a model system. During neutron irradiation, the 10B(n, α)7Li reaction internally generates energetic He and Li ions, producing distributed He implantation and displacement damage. After irradiation in the PULSTAR reactor, samples were annealed at 500°C and 1000°C and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. He nanobubbles were observed in both UO2 and UB2 phases with similar bubble sizes, while the higher bubble density in UO2 suggested preferential He implantation into surrounding UO2 grains. No dislocation loops were detected under the selected irradiation conditions. Increased positron lifetime after irradiation indicated vacancy-type defect formation with limited recovery after annealing. These results demonstrate relatively homogeneous He-induced defect evolution and study their effects on thermal and mechanical performance of nuclear fuels. |