NSUF 19-1799: Irradiation response and mechanical properties of Cr coated Zircaloy-4
As one accident tolerant fuel (ATF) concept, Cr was used to coat fuel cladding tubes due to its high melting point, corrosion resistance, high hardness, and good wear resistance. The design, however, needs to consider both irradiation tolerance and mechanical property changes of coated systems under extreme conditions. So far, there is lack of data even on swelling resistance (both temperate and dpa dependence) of Cr. This project aims to answer the key question about both radiation response and mechanical properties of Cr coated Zircaloy-4. It is hypothesized that Cr can diffuse through grain boundaries in Zircaloy-4 substrate, leading to interface embrittlement, which can be a fatal issue for the concept. The project includes the following key steps: (a) low temperature thermal spray coating of pure Cr on Zricaloy-4 cladding tubes (samples have been prepared); (b) proton irradiation of polished cross sections of Cr-coated Zircaloy-4; (c) EDS mapping of elemental distributions at the interface zones and SEM characterization to determine whether irradiation can induce/accelerate interface compound formation; (d) Micron pillar and compression tests to study mechanical property different locations of interface zones; (e) TEM characterization to compare microstructures due to irradiation and interface reactions; and (f) cantilever bending experiments to study interface bonding strength before and after ion irradiation. The project requires ion irradiation at Texas A&M University NSUF facility and INL/NSUF/IMCL facility for microstructural characterization.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Awarded Institution | Texas A&M University |
| Embargo End Date | 2021-02-14 |
| Facility Tech Lead | Alina Montrose, Lin Shao |
| Irradiation Facilities | Accelerator Laboratory |
| NSUF Call | FY 2019 RTE 2nd Call |
| PI | Lin Shao |
| PIE Facilities | Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory |
| Project Member | Professor Lin Shao, Professor - Texas A&M University (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5703-1153) |
| Project Notes | Awarded on 05/14/2019 |
| Project Type | RTE |
| Publication | Irradiation-induced swelling of pure chromium with 5 MeV Fe ions in the temperature range 450–650 °C Lin Shao Journal of Nuclear Materials 543 2021-01-01 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311520311934#:~:text=Conclusions,after%2050%20peak%20dpa%20irradiation. |
| Publication | Effect of dpa rate on the temperature regime of void swelling in ion-irradiated pure chromium Adam Gabriel, Aaron French, Lingfeng He, Pengyuan Xiu, Michael Nastasi, Frank Garner, Lin Shao JNM 561 2022-04-13 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311522000150#ack0001 |
| RTE Number | 1799 |