| About this Abstract | 
   
    | Meeting | MS&T23: Materials Science & Technology | 
   
    | Symposium | Advanced Characterization of Materials for Nuclear, Radiation, and Extreme Environments IV | 
   
    | Presentation Title | Transition Metal Carbonitride Materials Exposed to Swift Heavy Ions | 
   
    | Author(s) | Jacob  Minnette, Evan  Williams, Donald  Chaney, Eric  O'Quinn, William  Cureton, Matthew  Kurley, Changyong  Park, Christina  Trautmann, Maik  Lang | 
   
    | On-Site Speaker (Planned) | Jacob  Minnette | 
   
    | Abstract Scope | Transition metal carbonitrides are of significant interest for nuclear energy research for numerous applications, including as a surrogate for advanced fuel forms. In this study, the effect of swift heavy ion irradiation on transition metal carbonitrides (ZrCxN1-x & HfCxN1-x) was investigated. Following irradiation with 198 MeV Xe ions and 946 MeV Au ions, samples were characterized with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The major radiation response was a unit-cell expansion mechanism that proceeded (i) through a direct-impact process saturating at a fluence of ~8x1011 ions/cm2 followed by (ii) a linear increase with no apparent saturation up to 6x1013 ions/cm2. The two-step swelling stands in contrast to the behavior of CeO2 or ThO2 irradiated under identical conditions. The two-step mechanism was independently observed for both carbonitride materials and irradiation conditions, and the overall swelling was higher for the 198 MeV Xe irradiation, correlated with the higher imparted energy density. |