NSUF 14-473: Investigation of the chemical state of Ag and Pd in SiC shell of irradiated TRISO particles via XAFS
Investigation of the chemical state of Ag and Pd in SiC shell of irradiated TRISO particles via XAFS This proposal describes the use of x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) to characterize fission product chemistry with silicon carbide. Silicon carbide is the prime choice of material used in TRISO fuel particle coating for both mechanical stability and fission product containment. Other applications of SiC in nuclear reactor systems are based on excellent radiation hardness, chemical resistance and mechanical properties. TRISO fuel has been irradiated at the ATR NSUF to high dpa. The uranium fuel has been removed leaving the barrier layers. The sample specimens will be investigated using microfocus mapping and microfocus XAFS. The Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) facility at the Advanced Photon Source will be used to study the SiC layers. The MRCAT Microfocusing Facility has been utilized in the past to study spent fuel particles. The advantage of using microfocusing mapping with XAFS is that you can find high concentrations of a material using the mapping and then take an XAFS scan at points of high interest. This allows one to determine the chemical state and the local atomic structure around specific points of interest. The chemistry of the fission products is not necessarily the same at all points in the TRISO shell. The use of mapping will allow us to determine if there are any differences in chemistry that would allow for better understanding of the TRISO fuel performance. Successful completion of these studies will yield sufficing data to fully characterize the Ag–SiC and Pd–SiC chemical interactions. The new scientific knowledge generated by this study will be used to enhance the quality of existing first principle simulations. This will improve our understanding and the ability to model fission product assisted corrosion effects in nuclear reactor related applications.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Investigation of the chemical state of Ag and Pd in SiC shell of irradiated TRISO particles via XAFS This proposal describes the use of x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) to characterize fission product chemistry with silicon carbide. Silicon carbide is the prime choice of material used in TRISO fuel particle coating for both mechanical stability and fission product containment. Other applications of SiC in nuclear reactor systems are based on excellent radiation hardness, chemical resistance and mechanical properties. TRISO fuel has been irradiated at the ATR NSUF to high dpa. The uranium fuel has been removed leaving the barrier layers. The sample specimens will be investigated using microfocus mapping and microfocus XAFS. The Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) facility at the Advanced Photon Source will be used to study the SiC layers. The MRCAT Microfocusing Facility has been utilized in the past to study spent fuel particles. The advantage of using microfocusing mapping with XAFS is that you can find high concentrations of a material using the mapping and then take an XAFS scan at points of high interest. This allows one to determine the chemical state and the local atomic structure around specific points of interest. The chemistry of the fission products is not necessarily the same at all points in the TRISO shell. The use of mapping will allow us to determine if there are any differences in chemistry that would allow for better understanding of the TRISO fuel performance. Successful completion of these studies will yield sufficing data to fully characterize the Ag–SiC and Pd–SiC chemical interactions. The new scientific knowledge generated by this study will be used to enhance the quality of existing first principle simulations. This will improve our understanding and the ability to model fission product assisted corrosion effects in nuclear reactor related applications. |
| Award Announced Date | 2014-05-20T00:00:00 |
| Awarded Institution | None |
| Facility | None |
| Facility Tech Lead | Jeff Terry |
| Irradiation Facility | None |
| PI | Kurt Terrani |
| PI Email | [email protected] |
| Project Type | APS |
| RTE Number | 473 |