Abstract
Graphite's resilience to high temperatures and neutron damage makes it vital for nuclear reactors, yet irradiation alters its microstructure, degrading key properties. We used small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering to study neutron-irradiated fine-grain nuclear graphite (Grade G347A) across varied temperatures and fluences. Results show significant shifts in internal strain and porosity, correlating with radiation-induced volume changes. Notably, porosity volume distribution (fractal dimensions) follows non-monotonic volume changes, suggesting a link to the Weibull distribution of fracture stress.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 714-718 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Interdisciplinary Materials |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2025 |
Funding
This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE‐AC07‐05ID14517 as part of Nuclear Science User Facilities award 16−651. This study used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE‐AC02‐06CH11357. DJS and LLS acknowledge support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy Sciences under contract DESC0018322 with the Research Foundation for the State University of New York at Stony Brook. DJS, SF, and LLS acknowledge the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Integrated Research Project IRP‐22‐27674 for support. Graphite irradiations were performed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and sponsored by Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd. under the Material Science and Technology Division, Work‐for‐Others (WFO) Program, IAN: 16B630901, and DOE agreement: NFE‐09‐02345, with the U.S. Department of Energy. A portion of this study used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Open Access funding enabled and organized by MIT gold 2025. This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 as part of Nuclear Science User Facilities award 16−651. This study used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. DJS and LLS acknowledge support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy Sciences under contract DESC0018322 with the Research Foundation for the State University of New York at Stony Brook. DJS, SF, and LLS acknowledge the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Integrated Research Project IRP-22-27674 for support. Graphite irradiations were performed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and sponsored by Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd. under the Material Science and Technology Division, Work-for-Others (WFO) Program, IAN: 16B630901, and DOE agreement: NFE-09-02345, with the U.S. Department of Energy. A portion of this study used resources at the High Flux Isotope Reactor a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Open Access funding enabled and organized by MIT gold 2025.
Keywords
- X-ray scattering
- fractal dimensions
- nuclear graphite
- radiation damage