Oxide evolution on the SiC layer of TRISO particles during extended air oxidation

Adam Bratten; Visharad Jalan; Tyler Gerczak; Haiming Wen

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153385

Oxide evolution on the SiC layer of TRISO particles during extended air oxidation

Adam Bratten, Visharad Jalan, Tyler Gerczak, Haiming Wen

Particle Fuel Forms

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

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles have been primarily developed for high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors and can be subjected to oxidizing environments for extended periods in an off-normal accident scenario. Surrogate TRISO fuel particles were oxidized in air at 1,000 or 1,100 °C for up to 120 h. The oxide scale morphology and thickness were studied via scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and atomic force microscopy. TRISO particles oxidized at 1,100 °C exhibited a highly crystalline oxide scale, which led to significant cracking and irregularly shaped closed porosity, whereas those oxidized at 1,000 °C possessed a primarily amorphous oxide scale, which contained small, rounded internal pores and no larger defects. The observed phenomena deviated from the expected behavior based on models for oxide growth on flat-plate and fiber SiC. The oxidation kinetics of TRISO fuel particles in high-temperature air were investigated without mechanically deforming the surface and were analyzed with respect to oxide morphology.

Original language	English
Article number	153385
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume	558
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153385
State	Published - Jan 2022

Funding

SEM and FIB work was supported by the University of Missouri Electron Microscopy Core “Excellence in Electron Microscopy” award. This study was financially supported by the Nuclear Energy University Program (award number DE-NE0008753 ) under the Office of Nuclear Energy of the US Department of Energy. H. M. Wen also acknowledges the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Faculty Development Program (award number NRC 31310018M0044 ).

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission	NRC 31310018M0044
Office of Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Energy University Program	DE-NE0008753

Keywords

FIB
Microstructure
SiC
TRISO
oxidation

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10.1016/j.jnucmat.2021.153385

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title = "Oxide evolution on the SiC layer of TRISO particles during extended air oxidation",

abstract = "Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles have been primarily developed for high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors and can be subjected to oxidizing environments for extended periods in an off-normal accident scenario. Surrogate TRISO fuel particles were oxidized in air at 1,000 or 1,100 °C for up to 120 h. The oxide scale morphology and thickness were studied via scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and atomic force microscopy. TRISO particles oxidized at 1,100 °C exhibited a highly crystalline oxide scale, which led to significant cracking and irregularly shaped closed porosity, whereas those oxidized at 1,000 °C possessed a primarily amorphous oxide scale, which contained small, rounded internal pores and no larger defects. The observed phenomena deviated from the expected behavior based on models for oxide growth on flat-plate and fiber SiC. The oxidation kinetics of TRISO fuel particles in high-temperature air were investigated without mechanically deforming the surface and were analyzed with respect to oxide morphology.",

keywords = "FIB, Microstructure, SiC, TRISO, oxidation",

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AU - Jalan, Visharad

AU - Gerczak, Tyler

AU - Wen, Haiming

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Y1 - 2022/1

N2 - Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles have been primarily developed for high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors and can be subjected to oxidizing environments for extended periods in an off-normal accident scenario. Surrogate TRISO fuel particles were oxidized in air at 1,000 or 1,100 °C for up to 120 h. The oxide scale morphology and thickness were studied via scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and atomic force microscopy. TRISO particles oxidized at 1,100 °C exhibited a highly crystalline oxide scale, which led to significant cracking and irregularly shaped closed porosity, whereas those oxidized at 1,000 °C possessed a primarily amorphous oxide scale, which contained small, rounded internal pores and no larger defects. The observed phenomena deviated from the expected behavior based on models for oxide growth on flat-plate and fiber SiC. The oxidation kinetics of TRISO fuel particles in high-temperature air were investigated without mechanically deforming the surface and were analyzed with respect to oxide morphology.

AB - Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles have been primarily developed for high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors and can be subjected to oxidizing environments for extended periods in an off-normal accident scenario. Surrogate TRISO fuel particles were oxidized in air at 1,000 or 1,100 °C for up to 120 h. The oxide scale morphology and thickness were studied via scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and atomic force microscopy. TRISO particles oxidized at 1,100 °C exhibited a highly crystalline oxide scale, which led to significant cracking and irregularly shaped closed porosity, whereas those oxidized at 1,000 °C possessed a primarily amorphous oxide scale, which contained small, rounded internal pores and no larger defects. The observed phenomena deviated from the expected behavior based on models for oxide growth on flat-plate and fiber SiC. The oxidation kinetics of TRISO fuel particles in high-temperature air were investigated without mechanically deforming the surface and were analyzed with respect to oxide morphology.

KW - FIB

KW - Microstructure

KW - SiC

KW - TRISO

KW - oxidation

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Oxide evolution on the SiC layer of TRISO particles during extended air oxidation

Abstract

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Keywords

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