NSUF 18-1374: Characterization of Neutron-Irradiated Zr-1Nb-O Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
The niobium, an alloying element in zirconium alloys, advances tolerance to the radiation damage during nuclear reactor operation. The knowledge of the irradiation-induced microstructural evolution of ß-Nb precipitates in neutron-irradiated nuclear fuel cladding of Zr-1Nb-O is limited. In this research, we propose a TEM study on the effect of neutron-irradiation on ß-Nb precipitates to explain the how ß-Nb microstructure evolves in the oxide layer, metal-oxide interface, and metal regions of high-burnup Zr-1Nb-O alloy nuclear fuel rod cladding. The sample is available at INL’s Hot Fuel Examination Facility. Microstructural characterization will be performed using the FEI Talos S/TEM optimized for elemental characterization. S/TEM with EDX will be conducted to determine ß-Nb microstructure, Nb chemistry, dislocation structure and irradiation-induced features evolved during irradiation. The acquired data will enable a greater understanding of how Nb microstructure is affected in Zr-Nb-O alloy system at high-burnups.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Awarded Institution | Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
| Embargo End Date | 2020-02-17 |
| Facility Tech Lead | Alina Montrose |
| NSUF Call | FY 2018 RTE 2nd Call |
| PI | Mahmut Cinbiz |
| Project Member | Dr. Lingfeng He, Associate Professor - North Carolina State University (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2763-1462) |
| Project Member | Dr. Mahmut Cinbiz - Oak Ridge National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4626-8515) |
| Project Notes | Awarded on 05/17/2018 |
| Project Type | RTE |
| Publication | Microstructure evolution of T91 irradiated in the BOR60 fast reactor Zhijie Jiao, Stephen Taller, Kevin Field, Gary Was Journal of Nuclear Materials 504 2018-06-01 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311518301806#ack0010 |
| Publication | STEM-EDS/EELS and APT characterization of ZrN coatings on UMo fuel kernels Lingfeng He, Mukesh Bachhav, Dennis Keiser, Emmanuel Perez, Brandon Miller, Jian Gan, Ann Leenaers, Sven Van den Berghe Journal of Nuclear Materials 511 2018-12-01 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311518307335#ack0010 |
| RTE Number | 1374 |