Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T23:32:57.506Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Microstructural Characterization of Next Generation Nuclear Graphites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2012

Chinnathambi Karthik ,
Joshua Kane ,
Darryl P. Butt ,
William E. Windes  and
Rick Ubic
Chinnathambi Karthik*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 University Blvd., Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Joshua Kane
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 University Blvd., Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Darryl P. Butt
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 University Blvd., Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
William E. Windes
Affiliation:
Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 University Blvd., Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA Idaho National Laboratory, 2351 N. Boulevard, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
Rick Ubic
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 University Blvd., Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

This article reports the microstructural characteristics of various petroleum and pitch based nuclear graphites (IG-110, NBG-18, and PCEA) that are of interest to the next generation nuclear plant program. Bright-field transmission electron microscopy imaging was used to identify and understand the different features constituting the microstructure of nuclear graphite such as the filler particles, microcracks, binder phase, rosette-shaped quinoline insoluble (QI) particles, chaotic structures, and turbostratic graphite phase. The dimensions of microcracks were found to vary from a few nanometers to tens of microns. Furthermore, the microcracks were found to be filled with amorphous carbon of unknown origin. The pitch coke based graphite (NBG-18) was found to contain higher concentration of binder phase constituting QI particles as well as chaotic structures. The turbostratic graphite, present in all of the grades, was identified through their elliptical diffraction patterns. The difference in the microstructure has been analyzed in view of their processing conditions.

Keywords

nuclear graphitegraphitizationtransmission electron microscopy
Type
Materials Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , April 2012 , pp. 272 - 278
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Allen, T.R., Sridharan, K., Tan, L., Windes, W.E., Cole, J.I., Crawford, D.C. & Was, G.S. (2008). Materials challenges for Generation IV nuclear energy systems. Nucl Technol 162, 342–357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barsoum, M.W., Murugaiah, A., Kalidindi, S.R., Zhen, T. & Gogotsi, Y. (2004). Kink bands, nonlinear elasticity and nanoindentations in graphite. Carbon 42, 1435–1445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bollmann, W. (1961). Electron microscope study of radiation damage in graphite. J Appl Phys 32, 869–877.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradford, M.R. & Steer, A.G. (2008). A structurally-based model of irradiated graphite properties. J Nucl Mater 381, 137–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brocklehurst, J.E. & Kelly, B.T. (1993). The dimensional changes of highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite irradiated with fast neutrons at 430°C and 600°C. Carbon 31, 179–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, G., Marsden, B.J. & Fok, S.L. (2006). The microstructural modelling of nuclear grade graphite. J Nucl Mater 353, 12–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heerschap, M. & Schüller, E. (1969). Vacancy and interstitial loops in graphite single crystals reactor-irradiated at 900° and 1200°C. Carbon 7, 624–625.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, A.N., Hall, G.N., Joyce, M., Hodgkins, A., Wen, K., Marrow, T.J. & Marsden, B.J. (2008). Microstructural characterisation of nuclear grade graphite. J Nucl Mater 381, 152–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mochida, I., Maeda, K. & Takeshita, K. (1978). Comparative study of the chemical structure of the disk-like components in the quinoline insolubles. Carbon 16, 459–467.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, M.S., Schlag, W.H. & Wilt, M.H. (1960). Surface properties of the quinoline-insoluble fraction of coal-tar pitch. J Chem Eng Data 5, 81–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nightingale, R.E. (1962). Nuclear Graphite. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Peaden, P.A., Lee, M.L., Hirata, Y. & Novotny, M. (1980). High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic compounds in carbon black. Anal Chem 52, 2268–2271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salver-Disma, F., Tarascon, J.M., Clinard, C. & Rouzaud, J.N. (1999). Transmission electron microscopy studies on carbon materials prepared by mechanical milling. Carbon 37, 1941–1959.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schiffmacher, G., Dexpert, H., Caro, P. & Cowley, J.M. (1980). Elliptic electron diffraction pattersn from the films of turbostratic graphite. J Microsc Spectrosc Electron 5, 729–734.Google Scholar
Simmons, J.W.H. (1965). Irradiation Damage in Graphite. New York: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Thrower, P.A. & Reynolds, W.N. (1963). Microstructural changes in neutron-irradiated graphite. J Nucl Mater 6, 221–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vainshtein, B.K., Zuyagin, B.B. & Avilov, A.V. (1992). Electron diffraction structure analysis. In Electron Diffraction Techniques I, Cowley, J.M. (Eds.). New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Wen, K.Y., Marrow, J. & Marsden, B. (2008a). Microcracks in nuclear graphite and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). J Nucl Mater 381, 199–203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wen, K.Y., Marrow, T.J. & Marsden, B.J. (2008b). The microstructure of nuclear graphite binders. Carbon 46, 62–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, C.H., Bonal, J.P. & Thiele, B. (1994). Thermal conductivity changes in graphites and carbon/carbon fiber materials induced by low neutron damages. J Nucl Mater 212–215, 1168–1173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar