Accelerated Fuel-Cladding Interaction Study using Surrogate Materials
EMSL Project ID
26708
Abstract
A Lab-level LDRD study on acceleration of fuel-cladding science is developing a miniature specimen test capability using HT-9 cladding material and ZrO2 with and without Ga doping as nuclear fuel surrogates. Thin films of ZrO2 are sputter deposited onto 3-mm diameter HT-9 TEM disks and then heated in air both in situ and ex situ for Laser Raman studies of oxide film growth. Native oxide growth is being compared to coated film growth and Ga-doped film growth. The Laser Raman studies reveal growth kinetics and oxide stoichiometry but TEM or SEM is required for a complete analysis of the HT 9/oxide interface chemistry. The new Focused Ion Beam/Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB/SEM) capability is ideal for creating and imaging cross-sectional TEM samples for analysis. Of special interest is the diffusion of Ga into the HT-9 sample that cannot be determined using Laser Raman spectroscopy. Zirconia and gallium are considered to be oxide fuel and fission product surrogates in this study. The objective is to determine that miniature specimens can be used to provide high-quality chemical interaction data for fuel qualification acceleration studies in the future.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2007-10-01
End Date
2008-10-05
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Accepted for publication in Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2008
Title Change per Chuck Henager phone call 10/7/08 (TQ): Using Raman Spectroscopy with Miniature Specimens to Study Corrosion and Fuel-Cladding Interactions: PNNL-SA-61316.
Submitted and in review at Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2008
Windisch CF, Jr, CH Henager, Jr, MH Engelhard, and WD Bennett. 2009. "Raman and XPS characterization of fuel-cladding interactions using miniature specimens." Journal of Nuclear Materials 383(3):237-243.
Windisch CF, Jr, CH Henager, MH Engelhard, and WD Bennett. 2011. "Combining Raman Microprobe and XPS to Study High Temperature Oxidation of Metals." ECS Transactions 33(35):21-29. doi:10.1149/1.3577750