| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2022 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Mechanical Behavior and Degradation of Advanced Nuclear Fuel and Structural Materials
|
| Presentation Title |
N-35: Investigation of Ion Irradiation Effects on Mineral Analogues of Concrete Aggregates |
| Author(s) |
Zehui Qi, Steven J. Zinkle, Yann Le Pape, Elena Tajuelo Rodriguez, Xin Chen, Gaurav Sant |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Steven J. Zinkle |
| Abstract Scope |
Amorphization and radiation induced volume expansion (RIVE) are considered as the primary causes that limit long-term performance of reactor concrete. To develop a consistent knowledge of irradiation effects in concrete, selected mineral analogues of concrete aggregates were irradiated by light ions. Three minerals (limestone, marble and quartzite) were irradiated by 5.5 MeV He^+ ions at room temperature producing doses of ~0.05, ~0.075 and ~3 dpa for surface, mid-range and peak damage regions (ion fluence of 2.5e17 ions/cm^2). The ion penetration depth was ~23 μm. Irradiation induced cracks were characterized by SEM and EBSD. GIXRD and nanoindentation were used to observe amorphization, RIVE and hardness change. No amorphization was observed in any irradiated mineral, while additional cracks and moderate lattice parameter swelling existed in some of the minerals. Hardness increased in marble and limestone by ~20% while quartzite softened by ~3%. Elastic modulus decrease was observed in all three minerals. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |