NSUF 23-4777: Elucidating Dislocation Loop Formation in Hot-extruded U-10Zr Alloy Under Irradiation

U-10Zr is currently being considered as fuel for several nuclear reactors under design. Among the various fabrication methods, hot extrusion has gained popularity. However, concerns have emerged regarding the anisotropic growth resulting from irradiation effects. The current understanding of this issue remains insufficient due to its complexity and limited investigations. As a result, there is a need to advance knowledge in this field. The proposed research aims to employ in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with ion irradiation at elevated temperatures to investigate the formation of dislocation loops and changes in density as the radiation dose escalates. The research timeline involves 1 day of SEM-EBSD, 4 days of FIB liftout, and 5 days of TEM work. The expected outcomes will provide insights into the density of dislocation loops on specific crystallographic planes within different phases, as a function of dose. The results will shed light on mechanistic models and estimation of anisotropic growth under irradiation, leading to a better understanding in the field of metal fuel irradiation behavior.

Додаткова інформація

Поле	Значення
Awarded Institution	None
Embargo End Date	2026-02-27
Facility Tech Lead	Kevin Field
NSUF Call	FY 2023 RTE 3rd Call
PI	Yi Xie
PI Email	[email protected]
PI Phone Number	765-496-2912
PIE Facilities	Michigan Center for Materials Characterization
Project Member	Dr. Peng Wang, Research Scientist - University of Michigan (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5071-7382)
Project Member	Prof. Yi Xie, Assistant Professor - Purdue University (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3668-733X)
Project Member	Mr Logan Joyce, Graduate Research Assistant - Purdue University (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6901-5740)
Project Type	RTE