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Microbeam Analysis of Irradiated Materials: Practical Aspects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2007

Jérôme Lamontagne ,
Thierry Blay  and
Ingrid Roure
Jérôme Lamontagne
Affiliation:
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique—Centre de Cadarache, DEN/DEC/SA3C/L2EC, Bât 316—13108 St Paul Lez Durance cedex, France
Thierry Blay
Affiliation:
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique—Centre de Cadarache, DEN/DEC/SA3C/L2EC, Bât 316—13108 St Paul Lez Durance cedex, France
Ingrid Roure
Affiliation:
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique—Centre de Cadarache, DEN/DEC/SA3C/L2EC, Bât 316—13108 St Paul Lez Durance cedex, France
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Abstract

Among the microanalytical techniques, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is one of the most powerful. Its performances can be used to provide an accurate characterization. In the present article the differences between the EPMA of highly irradiated materials and standard EPMA are highlighted. It focuses on the shielded EPMA specificities. Then, the article presents the difficulties encountered during the sample preparation and the analysis (mainly due to the radioactive background). In spite of these difficulties, some valuable results can be provided by a shielded EPMA on the in-pile behavior of nuclear irradiated fuel. Some results of specific examples analyzed by EPMA in nuclear fuel research are presented.

Keywords

shielded EPMAirradiated nuclear fuelquantitative radial measurementX-ray mapping
Type
SPECIAL SECTION: MICROANALYSIS OF MATERIALS TODAY
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 150 - 155
Copyright
© 2007 Microscopy Society of America

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References

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