In situ X-ray characterization of uranium dioxide during flash sintering

David J. Sprouster; Erofili Kardoulaki; Randy Weidner; Alicia M. Raftery; Mohamed Elbakhshwan; Reeju Pokharel; Helmut M. Reiche; Darrin D. Byler; Sanjit K. Ghose; Eric Dooryhee; Kenneth J. McClellan; Lynne E. Ecker

doi:10.1016/j.mtla.2018.07.006

In situ X-ray characterization of uranium dioxide during flash sintering

David J. Sprouster, Erofili Kardoulaki, Randy Weidner, Alicia M. Raftery, Mohamed Elbakhshwan, Reeju Pokharel, Helmut M. Reiche, Darrin D. Byler, Sanjit K. Ghose, Eric Dooryhee, Kenneth J. McClellan, Lynne E. Ecker

Advanced Fuel Fabrication and Instrument

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

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

The in situ response of stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric uranium dioxide during flash sintering is examined using high energy X-ray diffraction. Our results show that the onset of flash is driven by an increase in temperature and controlled by the applied field with no evidence of an accumulation of defects. The incubation time, that is the time after the application of the field before the flash occurs, is found to be material specific with hyper-stoichiometric samples requiring lower fields to flash. For low current/voltage fields we quantify very little change in the atomic and microstructure of the different uranium dioxide samples post-flash. Microstructural changes are identified for high fields and currents, where joule heating and sample temperatures are high, resulting in the complete transformation of the U₄O₉ phase. Our results highlight the usefulness of high energy X-ray characterization in understanding the subtle structural changes that occur during the flash sintering process.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	176-182
Number of pages	7
Journal	Materialia
Volume	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2018.07.006
State	Published - Oct 2018

Funding

A portion of this research was funded by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle Options Campaign. The authors thank the National Synchrotron Light Source-II at Brookhaven National Laboratory, for the use of the facility, which is supported by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-SC0012704. A portion of this research was funded by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle Options Campaign. The authors thank the National Synchrotron Light Source-II at Brookhaven National Laboratory, for the use of the facility, which is supported by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-SC0012704 .

Keywords

Flash sintering
In situ
Joule heating
Uranium dioxide
X-ray diffraction

Access to Document

10.1016/j.mtla.2018.07.006

Cite this

@article{12bf661b06ec403cba98b44c01e836c9,

title = "In situ X-ray characterization of uranium dioxide during flash sintering",

abstract = "The in situ response of stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric uranium dioxide during flash sintering is examined using high energy X-ray diffraction. Our results show that the onset of flash is driven by an increase in temperature and controlled by the applied field with no evidence of an accumulation of defects. The incubation time, that is the time after the application of the field before the flash occurs, is found to be material specific with hyper-stoichiometric samples requiring lower fields to flash. For low current/voltage fields we quantify very little change in the atomic and microstructure of the different uranium dioxide samples post-flash. Microstructural changes are identified for high fields and currents, where joule heating and sample temperatures are high, resulting in the complete transformation of the U4O9 phase. Our results highlight the usefulness of high energy X-ray characterization in understanding the subtle structural changes that occur during the flash sintering process.",

keywords = "Flash sintering, In situ, Joule heating, Uranium dioxide, X-ray diffraction",

author = "Sprouster, {David J.} and Erofili Kardoulaki and Randy Weidner and Raftery, {Alicia M.} and Mohamed Elbakhshwan and Reeju Pokharel and Reiche, {Helmut M.} and Byler, {Darrin D.} and Ghose, {Sanjit K.} and Eric Dooryhee and McClellan, {Kenneth J.} and Ecker, {Lynne E.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018",

year = "2018",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1016/j.mtla.2018.07.006",

language = "English",

volume = "2",

pages = "176--182",

journal = "Materialia",

issn = "2589-1529",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - In situ X-ray characterization of uranium dioxide during flash sintering

AU - Sprouster, David J.

AU - Kardoulaki, Erofili

AU - Weidner, Randy

AU - Raftery, Alicia M.

AU - Elbakhshwan, Mohamed

AU - Pokharel, Reeju

AU - Reiche, Helmut M.

AU - Byler, Darrin D.

AU - Ghose, Sanjit K.

AU - Dooryhee, Eric

AU - McClellan, Kenneth J.

AU - Ecker, Lynne E.

PY - 2018/10

Y1 - 2018/10

N2 - The in situ response of stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric uranium dioxide during flash sintering is examined using high energy X-ray diffraction. Our results show that the onset of flash is driven by an increase in temperature and controlled by the applied field with no evidence of an accumulation of defects. The incubation time, that is the time after the application of the field before the flash occurs, is found to be material specific with hyper-stoichiometric samples requiring lower fields to flash. For low current/voltage fields we quantify very little change in the atomic and microstructure of the different uranium dioxide samples post-flash. Microstructural changes are identified for high fields and currents, where joule heating and sample temperatures are high, resulting in the complete transformation of the U4O9 phase. Our results highlight the usefulness of high energy X-ray characterization in understanding the subtle structural changes that occur during the flash sintering process.

AB - The in situ response of stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric uranium dioxide during flash sintering is examined using high energy X-ray diffraction. Our results show that the onset of flash is driven by an increase in temperature and controlled by the applied field with no evidence of an accumulation of defects. The incubation time, that is the time after the application of the field before the flash occurs, is found to be material specific with hyper-stoichiometric samples requiring lower fields to flash. For low current/voltage fields we quantify very little change in the atomic and microstructure of the different uranium dioxide samples post-flash. Microstructural changes are identified for high fields and currents, where joule heating and sample temperatures are high, resulting in the complete transformation of the U4O9 phase. Our results highlight the usefulness of high energy X-ray characterization in understanding the subtle structural changes that occur during the flash sintering process.

KW - Flash sintering

KW - In situ

KW - Joule heating

KW - Uranium dioxide

KW - X-ray diffraction

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053061244&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.mtla.2018.07.006

DO - 10.1016/j.mtla.2018.07.006

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85053061244

SN - 2589-1529

VL - 2

SP - 176

EP - 182

JO - Materialia

JF - Materialia

ER -

In situ X-ray characterization of uranium dioxide during flash sintering

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this