The evolution of the microstructure of Cr16–Ni19 Steel under irradiation in the low enrichment zone of a fast neutron reactor. Formation and development of radiation porosity

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Abstract

Microstructural studies of samples made from various sections of fuel element shells were carried out after irradiation in the low enrichment zone of a fast neutron reactor with a sodium coolant to damaging doses of over 100 dpa. The porosity characteristics of samples irradiated with different rates of generation of atomic displacements selected from sites with different irradiation temperatures are studied. Histograms of the void size distribution are constructed for each sample, which are described by unimodal lognormal distributions. Three types of voids were identified: “small”,“medium-sized” and “large”,and changes in the average size and concentration of voids of each type were traced depending on the irradiation temperature and the rate of generation of atomic displacements.

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I. A. Portnykh

JSC “Institute of Nuclear Materials”

Author for correspondence.
Email: portnyh_ia@irmatom.ru
Russian Federation, Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region, 624250

V. L. Panchenko

JSC “Institute of Nuclear Materials”

Email: portnyh_ia@irmatom.ru
Russian Federation, Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region, 624250

A. E. Ustinov

JSC “Institute of Nuclear Materials”

Email: portnyh_ia@irmatom.ru
Russian Federation, Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region, 624250

A. V. Kozlov

JSC “Institute of Nuclear Materials”; Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: portnyh_ia@irmatom.ru
Russian Federation, Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region, 624250; Ekaterinburg, 620108

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Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
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2. Fig. 1. Typical distribution of neutron flux density and temperatures of fuel element cladding (#1, #2) over the height of the core.

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3. Fig. 2. Microstructure of Cr16-Ni19 type steel characteristic of low-temperature irradiation ranges. (a) - areas depleted of large pores near the primary carbonitride precipitates; (b) - line of large pores along the grain boundary (marked by arrows).

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4. Fig. 3. Small pores in the structure of Cr16-Ni19 type steel: (a) - at the grain boundary; (b) - at intra-grain separations.

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5. Fig. 4. Typical histogram of pore size distribution in HT1 samples of fuel element cladding made of Cr16-Ni19 type steel (atomic displacement generation rate of 1.1 ∙ 10-6 sleep/s).

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6. Fig. 5. Characteristics of small (a), medium-sized (b) and large (c) pores in Cr16-Ni19 type steel samples from low-temperature irradiation ranges and integral porosity of the samples (d).

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7. Fig. 6. Microstructure of Cr16-Ni19 type steel characteristic for medium-temperature irradiation ranges with atomic displacement generation rate of 1.6 ∙ 10-6 sleep/c: (a) - areas free of large pores; (b) - the largest pores at the twin boundaries.

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8. Fig. 7. Typical histogram of pore size distribution in samples of fuel element cladding made of Cr16-Ni19 steel from the ST2 irradiation range (atomic displacement generation rate of 1.6 ∙ 10-6 sleep/s).

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9. Fig. 8. Characteristics of small (a), medium-sized (b) and large (c) pores in Cr16-Ni19 type steel samples from mid-temperature irradiation ranges and integral porosity of the samples (d).

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10. Fig. 9. Microstructure of Cr16-Ni19 type steel characteristic of high-temperature irradiation ranges BT1, BT2: (a) temperature range (540-550)°C, atomic displacement generation rate 1.6 ∙ 10-6 sleep/s; (b) temperature range (560-570)°C, atomic displacement generation rate 1.5 ∙ 10-6 sleep/s.

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11. Fig. 10. Typical histogram of pore size distribution in samples of fuel element cladding made of Cr16-Ni19 type steel from high-temperature irradiation range BT1 (atomic displacement generation rate 1.6 ∙ 10-6 sleep/s).

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12. Fig. 11. Characteristics of small (a), medium-sized (b) and large (c) pores in Cr16-Ni19 type steel samples from high-temperature irradiation ranges and integral porosity of the samples (d).

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13. Fig. 12. Dependences of average size (a) and concentration (b) of small pores on irradiation temperature in samples of fuel rod cladding made of Cr16-Ni19 steel.

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14. Fig. 13. Dependences of average pore size (a) and concentration (b) of average pore size on irradiation temperature in samples of fuel rod cladding made of Cr16-Ni19 type steel.

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15. Fig. 14. Dependences of average size (a) and concentration (b) of large pores on irradiation temperature in samples of fuel rod cladding made of Cr16-Ni19 steel.

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16. Fig. 15. Dependence of the specific volume occupied by pores of different types on the irradiation temperature in Cr16-Ni19 steel.

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17. Fig. 16. Dependence of specific pore surface area on porosity in samples of fuel rod cladding made of Cr16-Ni19 steel for different irradiation temperature ranges.

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