Local atomic structure of Pd and Ag in the SiC containment layer of TRISO fuel particles fissioned to 20% burn-up

Rachel L. Seibert; Kurt A. Terrani; Daniel Velázquez; John D. Hunn; Charles A. Baldwin; Fred C. Montgomery; Jeff Terry

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.032

Local atomic structure of Pd and Ag in the SiC containment layer of TRISO fuel particles fissioned to 20% burn-up

Rachel L. Seibert, Kurt A. Terrani, Daniel Velázquez, John D. Hunn, Charles A. Baldwin, Fred C. Montgomery, Jeff Terry

Particle Fuel Forms

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

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

The structure and speciation of fission products within the SiC barrier layer of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles irradiated to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom (FIMA) burnup in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was investigated. As-irradiated fuel particles, as well as those subjected to simulated accident scenarios, were examined. The TRISO particles were characterized using synchrotron X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) at the Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. The TRISO particles were produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program and sent to the ATR for irradiation. XAFS measurements on the palladium and silver K-edges were collected using the MRCAT undulator beamline. Analysis of the Pd edge indicated the formation of palladium silicides of the form Pd_xSi (2 ≤ x ≤ 3). In contrast, Ag was found to be metallic within the SiC shell safety tested to 1700 °C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result demonstrating metallic bonding of silver from fissioned samples. Knowledge of these reaction pathways will allow for better simulations of radionuclide transport in the various coating layers of TRISO fuels for next generation nuclear reactors. They may also suggest different ways to modify TRISO particles to improve their fuel performance and to mitigate potential fission product release under both normal operation and accident conditions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	316-326
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume	500
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.032
State	Published - Mar 2018

Funding

The authors would like to thank Dr. Keith Leonard (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) for his involvement in sample preparation for this experiment. MRCAT operations are supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the MRCAT member institutions . This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 . This work was also supported by the U.S. DOE, Office of Nuclear Energy under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-051D14517 as part of a Nuclear Science User Facilities experiment and through the Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Reactor Technologies Technology Development Office as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The authors would like to thank Dr. Keith Leonard (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) for his involvement in sample preparation for this experiment. MRCAT operations are supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the MRCAT member institutions. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This work was also supported by the U.S. DOE, Office of Nuclear Energy under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-051D14517 as part of a Nuclear Science User Facilities experiment and through the Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Reactor Technologies Technology Development Office as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program.

Funders	Funder number
Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program
Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Reactor Technologies Technology Development Office
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science
Office of Nuclear Energy	DE-AC07-051D14517
Argonne National Laboratory	DE-AC02-06CH11357
Idaho National Laboratory

Keywords

Palladium
Silver
TRISO
XAFS

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.032

Cite this

@article{f552f578a65b40b4855e2cf1711a0e3a,

title = "Local atomic structure of Pd and Ag in the SiC containment layer of TRISO fuel particles fissioned to 20% burn-up",

abstract = "The structure and speciation of fission products within the SiC barrier layer of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles irradiated to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom (FIMA) burnup in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was investigated. As-irradiated fuel particles, as well as those subjected to simulated accident scenarios, were examined. The TRISO particles were characterized using synchrotron X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) at the Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. The TRISO particles were produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program and sent to the ATR for irradiation. XAFS measurements on the palladium and silver K-edges were collected using the MRCAT undulator beamline. Analysis of the Pd edge indicated the formation of palladium silicides of the form PdxSi (2 ≤ x ≤ 3). In contrast, Ag was found to be metallic within the SiC shell safety tested to 1700 °C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result demonstrating metallic bonding of silver from fissioned samples. Knowledge of these reaction pathways will allow for better simulations of radionuclide transport in the various coating layers of TRISO fuels for next generation nuclear reactors. They may also suggest different ways to modify TRISO particles to improve their fuel performance and to mitigate potential fission product release under both normal operation and accident conditions.",

keywords = "Palladium, Silver, TRISO, XAFS",

author = "Seibert, {Rachel L.} and Terrani, {Kurt A.} and Daniel Vel{\'a}zquez and Hunn, {John D.} and Baldwin, {Charles A.} and Montgomery, {Fred C.} and Jeff Terry",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2018",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.032",

language = "English",

volume = "500",

pages = "316--326",

journal = "Journal of Nuclear Materials",

issn = "0022-3115",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Local atomic structure of Pd and Ag in the SiC containment layer of TRISO fuel particles fissioned to 20% burn-up

AU - Seibert, Rachel L.

AU - Terrani, Kurt A.

AU - Velázquez, Daniel

AU - Hunn, John D.

AU - Baldwin, Charles A.

AU - Montgomery, Fred C.

AU - Terry, Jeff

PY - 2018/3

Y1 - 2018/3

N2 - The structure and speciation of fission products within the SiC barrier layer of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles irradiated to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom (FIMA) burnup in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was investigated. As-irradiated fuel particles, as well as those subjected to simulated accident scenarios, were examined. The TRISO particles were characterized using synchrotron X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) at the Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. The TRISO particles were produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program and sent to the ATR for irradiation. XAFS measurements on the palladium and silver K-edges were collected using the MRCAT undulator beamline. Analysis of the Pd edge indicated the formation of palladium silicides of the form PdxSi (2 ≤ x ≤ 3). In contrast, Ag was found to be metallic within the SiC shell safety tested to 1700 °C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result demonstrating metallic bonding of silver from fissioned samples. Knowledge of these reaction pathways will allow for better simulations of radionuclide transport in the various coating layers of TRISO fuels for next generation nuclear reactors. They may also suggest different ways to modify TRISO particles to improve their fuel performance and to mitigate potential fission product release under both normal operation and accident conditions.

AB - The structure and speciation of fission products within the SiC barrier layer of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles irradiated to 19.6% fissions per initial metal atom (FIMA) burnup in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was investigated. As-irradiated fuel particles, as well as those subjected to simulated accident scenarios, were examined. The TRISO particles were characterized using synchrotron X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) at the Materials Research Collaborative Access Team (MRCAT) beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. The TRISO particles were produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program and sent to the ATR for irradiation. XAFS measurements on the palladium and silver K-edges were collected using the MRCAT undulator beamline. Analysis of the Pd edge indicated the formation of palladium silicides of the form PdxSi (2 ≤ x ≤ 3). In contrast, Ag was found to be metallic within the SiC shell safety tested to 1700 °C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result demonstrating metallic bonding of silver from fissioned samples. Knowledge of these reaction pathways will allow for better simulations of radionuclide transport in the various coating layers of TRISO fuels for next generation nuclear reactors. They may also suggest different ways to modify TRISO particles to improve their fuel performance and to mitigate potential fission product release under both normal operation and accident conditions.

KW - Palladium

KW - Silver

KW - TRISO

KW - XAFS

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040355782&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.032

DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.12.032

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85040355782

SN - 0022-3115

VL - 500

SP - 316

EP - 326

JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials

JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials

ER -

Local atomic structure of Pd and Ag in the SiC containment layer of TRISO fuel particles fissioned to 20% burn-up

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this