| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramic Materials for Nuclear Energy Research and Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Irradiation- and Dopant-induced Structural Changes in Ceramic Nuclear Fuels Probed via Elastic and Optical Properties |
| Author(s) |
Amey Rajendra Khanolkar, Linu Malakkal, Zilong Hua, Cody Dennett, J. Matthew Mann, Marat Khafizov, David Hurley |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Amey Rajendra Khanolkar |
| Abstract Scope |
Radiation-induced defects and dopants are known to introduce lattice distortions that influence the thermophysical properties of nuclear fuels. A fundamental understanding of their impact on fuel performance is therefore critical for the development of advanced ceramic fuels. In this talk, the impact of small-scale lattice defects and doped uranium atoms on the optical and elastic properties of thorium dioxide (ThO2) single crystals is explored. Changes in optical properties of the irradiated ThO2 (created by color centers) and doped UxTh1-xO2 single crystals (created by band gap changes) are measured using spectroscopic ellipsometry and single wavelength reflectometry, respectively. Elastic property changes arising from defect- and dopant-induced lattice distortions are probed from changes in the frequency of laser-generated surface acoustic waves and longitudinal coherent acoustic phonons, respectively. When combined with ab initio calculations, our findings provide new insight on the impact of atomic-scale lattice distortions on the properties of advanced ceramic fuels. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Ceramics, Nuclear Materials, Characterization |