| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
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| Symposium
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Microstructural, Mechanical, and Chemical Behavior of Solid Nuclear Fuel and Fuel-Cladding Interface II
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| Presentation Title |
Cluster Dynamics Modeling of Interstitial Loop Evolution and Unfaulting Process in Proton-Irradiated Single Crystal ThO2 |
| Author(s) |
Md Minaruzzaman, Marat Khafizov, Anshul Kamboj, Kaustubh Bawane, Miaomiao Jin, Lin Shao , Lingfeng He, David H. Hurley, Boopathy Kombaiah |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Md Minaruzzaman |
| Abstract Scope |
This study uses a Cluster Dynamics(CD) model to reveal mechanisms of dislocation loop evolution in single crystal thorium dioxide proton-irradiated at 1000°C. Key mechanisms in the model include the production of vacancies and interstitials and their absorption by interstitial loops and voids. A unique aspect of the model is the transformation of faulted to perfect loops. Model assumes that the nucleation of interstitial clusters leads to faulted loops forming which become energetically unfavourable as their size increases. We analyze clustering kinetics upto one dpa observing that while the average size of perfect loops increases with doses, the faulted loop size growth is saturated owing to unfaulting. Our model's predictions closely align with Transmission Electron Microscopy(TEM) observations, accurately reflecting loop density and size trends. The study demonstrates the dynamic transformation between faulted and perfect loops is a step towards understanding microstructure evolution and grain restructuring at higher doses in nuclear fuels. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Ceramics, Modeling and Simulation |