Irradiation stability of SiC-based joints for nuclear applications

Irradiation stability of SiC-based joints for nuclear applications

A limited number of materials have been proposed for SiC joining in nuclear reactors and their radiation behaviour in working conditions is currently under test.

In this framework, two glass-ceramic micro-structures and their interfaces with SiC have been investigated by TEM and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) before neutron irradiation at the AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow (PL) and by SEM after neutron irradiation at the High Flux Reactor in Petten (NL). Radiation resistance of the two glass- ceramic joining materials was tested by means of 5.5 MeV 4He+ ions up to fluences able to induce in localized regions of the samples tenths of dpa, i.e. a damage comparable with that expected in nuclear fusion plants where particle/neutron flux of 1016 – 1017 n/(m2 s) is foreseen. Moreover, Si2+ ion irradiation was performed both on a calcia-alumina based glass-ceramic (CA) bulk and CA joined SiC: they were both irradiated with 5.1 MeV Si2+ ions to 3.3×1020 ions/m2 at temperatures of 400 and 800°C at DuET facility, Kyoto University, Japan.

Picture(s)

TEM picture of irradiated calcia-allumina based glass-ceramic regions at a depth of about 20 μm (corresponding to the dpa-peak region); several irradiation-induced dislocation loops in are detected in Ca12Al14O33 grains.

SEM analysis of unirradiated (a) and Si-ion irradiated (b) at 400 °C SiC joined by calcia-allumina based glass ceramic.

joining, irradiation, CMC, neutron

contact : valentina.casalegno@polito.it

Recent reference(s)s

  1. Casalegno, Valentina; Kondo, Sosuke; Hinoki, Tatsuya; Salvo, Milena; Czyrska-Filemonowicz, Aleksandra; Moskalewicz, Tomasz; Katoh, Yutai; Ferraris, Monica,CaO-Al2O3 glass-ceramic as a joining material for SiC based components: A microstructural study of the effect of Si-ion irradiation,in JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS, 501 (2018)172-180 DOI:

10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.01.033

  1. Gozzelino, L.; Casalegno, V.; Ghigo, G.; Moskalewicz, T.; Czyrska-Filemonowicz, A.; Ferraris, M.. He-irradiation effects on glass-ceramics for joining of SiC-based materials , In: JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS. - ISSN 0022-3115. - 472(2016), 28-34.