NSUF 25-5246: Evaluating the Radiation Tolerance of ZrC under Extreme Irradiation Conditions

The project aims to study the radiation tolerance of ZrC under extreme conditions (300 dpa at 800°C, 1000°C, and 1200°C) to evaluate its overall suitability as a replacement for the SiC layer in TRISO fuels. Compared to SiC, ZrC has lower hydrogen solubility and lower cesium retention, providing better barrier performance to contain fission products. Furthermore, our preliminary molecular dynamics simulations suggest that ZrC exhibits strong self-repair capability due to the presence of carbon vacancies. A perfect 1:1 atomic ratio does not naturally exist in ZrC. Instead, carbon-deficient compositions (sub-stoichiometry) introduce carbon vacancies, enhancing radiation tolerance. For this project, carbon self-ion irradiation will be performed at TAMU, followed by FIB and TEM characterization at CAES. SiC will be irradiated under the same conditions for comparison. This project aims to provide critical information for optimizing TRISO fuel performance.

Informações Adicionais

Campo	Valor
Award Announced Date	2025-08-06T10:08:20.863
Awarded Institution	Texas A&M University
Facility Tech Lead	Lin Shao, Mukesh Bachhav
Irradiation Facility	Accelerator Laboratory
PI	Seungsu Kim
PI Email	[email protected]
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	None