Radiation effects and differential damage in binary carbide hybrids

Recent innovations in material science has led to a range of new materials being identified as being usable within nuclear reactor cores, these range from SiC based ceramics, to novel alloys such as FeCrAl, and to hybrids with both metallic and ceramic properties. One specific area that is become more timely is the potential use of binary carbides such as SiC-SiC which is a system based on two distinct SiC phases. This proposal takes this work as a concept, modifying it to use SiC and TiC, two carbides with different material properties, but which together may have advantageous properties when used within a nuclear core.

This proposal examines the effects of damage on the interfaces between the TiC and SiC, for example the impact of differential expansion due to induced damage, or the potential for fission gas bubble formation at the interfaces. These are just two of the potential issues that face such systems and which are part of this work.

The project utilises the unique facilities at Argonne National Laboratory (IVEM-TANDEM), and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (LAMDA), in concert with the ATR-NSUF programme providing access.

The direct impact form this work will be three fold, firstly the classical output of results, such as via publications and conferences, in a new and novel area of nuclear materials research, highlighting that such work is key to developing new nuclear materials. An equally important impact will be the use of this work in developing a further research programme, where the results form this programme can be used to identify the key areas for research. This provides the programme with a strong base from which to work from, and which can be used to communicate with the nuclear industry the areas that need address. Finally a third impact is the strengthening of a strong international collaboration between the UK and US is also vital going forward in the development of nuclear materials, with the presentation of this work at the annual user meeting at Idaho National Laboratory.