Dimensional stability and anisotropy of SiC and SiC-based composites in transition swelling regime

Yutai Katoh; Takaaki Koyanagi; Joel L. McDuffee; Lance L. Snead; Ken Yueh

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.009

Dimensional stability and anisotropy of SiC and SiC-based composites in transition swelling regime

Yutai Katoh, Takaaki Koyanagi, Joel L. McDuffee, Lance L. Snead, Ken Yueh

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

54 Scopus citations

Abstract

Swelling, or volumetric expansion, is an inevitable consequence of the atomic displacement damage in crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) caused by energetic neutron irradiation. Because of its steep temperature and dose dependence, understanding swelling is essential for designing SiC-based components for nuclear applications. In this study, swelling behaviors of monolithic CVD SiC and nuclear grade SiC fiber – SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites were accurately determined, supported by the irradiation temperature determination for individual samples, following neutron irradiation within the lower transition swelling temperature regime. Slightly anisotropic swelling behaviors were found for the SiC/SiC samples and attributed primarily to the combined effects of the pre-existing microcracking, fiber architecture, and specimen dimension. A semi-empirical model of SiC swelling was calibrated and presented. Finally, implications of the refined model to selected swelling-related issues for SiC-based nuclar reactor components are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	471-479
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume	499
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.009
State	Published - Feb 2018

Funding

This research was supported by the Electric Power Research Institute under contract NFE-13-04618 and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy and Office of Fusion Energy Sciences under contact DE-AC05-00OR22725 with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) managed by UT Battelle, LLC. A portion of this research used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by ORNL. This work also used resources at the Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis (LAMDA) Laboratory at ORNL. The authors would like to thank Nicholas Brown for useful discussion, Mary Snead for coordinating project, and Gyanender Singh and Bill Wiffen for valuable comments to this manuscript.

Funders	Funder number
United States Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725
Battelle
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Electric Power Research Institute	NFE-13-04618

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.009

Cite this

@article{87ac9fe35c5040feb397d4aae372a196,

title = "Dimensional stability and anisotropy of SiC and SiC-based composites in transition swelling regime",

abstract = "Swelling, or volumetric expansion, is an inevitable consequence of the atomic displacement damage in crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) caused by energetic neutron irradiation. Because of its steep temperature and dose dependence, understanding swelling is essential for designing SiC-based components for nuclear applications. In this study, swelling behaviors of monolithic CVD SiC and nuclear grade SiC fiber – SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites were accurately determined, supported by the irradiation temperature determination for individual samples, following neutron irradiation within the lower transition swelling temperature regime. Slightly anisotropic swelling behaviors were found for the SiC/SiC samples and attributed primarily to the combined effects of the pre-existing microcracking, fiber architecture, and specimen dimension. A semi-empirical model of SiC swelling was calibrated and presented. Finally, implications of the refined model to selected swelling-related issues for SiC-based nuclar reactor components are discussed.",

author = "Yutai Katoh and Takaaki Koyanagi and McDuffee, {Joel L.} and Snead, {Lance L.} and Ken Yueh",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2018",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.009",

language = "English",

volume = "499",

pages = "471--479",

journal = "Journal of Nuclear Materials",

issn = "0022-3115",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dimensional stability and anisotropy of SiC and SiC-based composites in transition swelling regime

AU - Katoh, Yutai

AU - Koyanagi, Takaaki

AU - McDuffee, Joel L.

AU - Snead, Lance L.

AU - Yueh, Ken

PY - 2018/2

Y1 - 2018/2

N2 - Swelling, or volumetric expansion, is an inevitable consequence of the atomic displacement damage in crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) caused by energetic neutron irradiation. Because of its steep temperature and dose dependence, understanding swelling is essential for designing SiC-based components for nuclear applications. In this study, swelling behaviors of monolithic CVD SiC and nuclear grade SiC fiber – SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites were accurately determined, supported by the irradiation temperature determination for individual samples, following neutron irradiation within the lower transition swelling temperature regime. Slightly anisotropic swelling behaviors were found for the SiC/SiC samples and attributed primarily to the combined effects of the pre-existing microcracking, fiber architecture, and specimen dimension. A semi-empirical model of SiC swelling was calibrated and presented. Finally, implications of the refined model to selected swelling-related issues for SiC-based nuclar reactor components are discussed.

AB - Swelling, or volumetric expansion, is an inevitable consequence of the atomic displacement damage in crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) caused by energetic neutron irradiation. Because of its steep temperature and dose dependence, understanding swelling is essential for designing SiC-based components for nuclear applications. In this study, swelling behaviors of monolithic CVD SiC and nuclear grade SiC fiber – SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites were accurately determined, supported by the irradiation temperature determination for individual samples, following neutron irradiation within the lower transition swelling temperature regime. Slightly anisotropic swelling behaviors were found for the SiC/SiC samples and attributed primarily to the combined effects of the pre-existing microcracking, fiber architecture, and specimen dimension. A semi-empirical model of SiC swelling was calibrated and presented. Finally, implications of the refined model to selected swelling-related issues for SiC-based nuclar reactor components are discussed.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85037525348&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.009

DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.009

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85037525348

SN - 0022-3115

VL - 499

SP - 471

EP - 479

JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials

JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials

ER -

Dimensional stability and anisotropy of SiC and SiC-based composites in transition swelling regime

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this