About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T26: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramics and Glasses for Nuclear Energy Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
From Irradiation Defects to Thermal Conductivity: A Defect-Informed Model for He Ion-Irradiated Ceria |
| Author(s) |
Md Minaruzzaman, Zilong Hua, Amey Rajendra Khanolkar, Mutaz Alshannaq, Lin Shao, Marat Khafizov |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Md Minaruzzaman |
| Abstract Scope |
Understanding how irradiation-induced defects degrade thermal conductivity is essential for predicting heat transport in nuclear fuels under reactor-relevant environments. Here, we develop a defect-informed framework to predict the thermal conductivity of He-ion-irradiated single-crystal CeO2, a surrogate for fluorite nuclear fuels. Damage profiles calculated using SRIM are used as inputs to a rate theory model to predict irradiation-induced point defect concentrations and dislocation loop size distributions in the plateau- and peak-damage regions. These defect populations are incorporated into a Klemens–Callaway thermal conductivity model through point-defect and dislocation-loop phonon scattering terms. The resulting model predicts the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity degradation of irradiated CeO2 and is validated against spatial-domain thermoreflectance measurements. This work provides a mechanistic pathway for connecting irradiation damage, defect evolution, and thermal transport, supporting predictive fuel performance models for safer and more efficient nuclear energy systems. |