NSUF 24-5177: In-Situ TEM Nanomechanical Testing of Neutron Irradiated U-10Zr

Based on current understanding, irradiated U-10Zr fuels have four concentric regions with distinctive phases and porosity. The phases in each region must exhibit characteristic mechanical behavior under stress. The technical objective of this RTE is to bridge the knowledge gap between microstructure and mechanical behavior using state-of-the-art instruments at the Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory at Idaho National Laboratory. We propose to perform in-situ nanomechanical tensile tests across all regions in irradiated U-10Zr under TEM. This work will utilize a PI-95 Picoindenter encased within a transmission electron microscope where a TEM video will show microstructure evolution over time. Coupling that with spatially resolved energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and 4D-STEM diffraction, an understanding of the mechanical behavior of individual phases and how each phase contributes to the overall properties of the bulk will be developed.

Zusätzliche Informationen

Feld	Wert
Awarded Institution	University of Florida
Embargo End Date	2026-04-28
Facility Tech Lead	Alina Montrose
NSUF Call	FY 2024 RTE 3rd Call
PI	Bao-Phong Nguyen
PIE Facilities	Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory
Prep Facilities	Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory
Project Member	Dr. Tiankai Yao, Staff Scientist and Nuclear Facility Engineer - Idaho National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8330-7638)
Project Member	Dr. Yachun Wang, Postdoc Research Associate - Idaho National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4952-3633)
Project Member	Dr Kaustubh Bawane, Postdoctoral Research Associate - Idaho National Laboratory
Project Member	Mr. Bao-Phong Nguyen, Graduate Student - University of Florida (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3928-6256)
Project Type	RTE