About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
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Special Topics in Nuclear Materials: Reproducibility and Uncertainty; Hydrogen Effects; Space and Microreactor Systems
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| Presentation Title |
Effect of Radiation Damage on Hydrogen Equilibrium Vapor Pressure over Irradiated Zircaloy-4 |
| Author(s) |
Kenneth J. Geelhood, Walter Luscher, Travis Zipperer, Eric Choi |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kenneth J. Geelhood |
| Abstract Scope |
The effect of radiation damage on the hydrogen equilibrium vapor pressure over irradiated samples of nickel-plated Zircaloy-4 was evaluated. The nickel-plated Zircaloy-4 is a key component in a tritium producing burnable absorber rod that traps hydrogen isotopes in solid solution during irradiation in a single 18-month cycle of a nuclear power plant. To enable this study, a measurement capability was utilized to obtain low pressure (<0.1 Pa) measurements over the temperature range of interest (300°-400°C). Measurement on unirradiated samples loaded with different hydrogen isotopes were performed to quantify the effect of each isotope on the pressure measurement. Finally, measurements of hydrogen partial pressure over an irradiated sample loaded in-reactor were made in PNNL’s Radiochemical Processing Laboratory. Results were compared with previous measurements of unirradiated samples loaded with protium that demonstrate the different partial pressure from the hydrogen isotopes and the impact that previous irradiation has on the partial pressure. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, |