SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 February 2018
STP159720160101

Equivalent Radiation Damage in Zirconium Irradiated in Various Reactors

Source

The physical properties and in-reactor performance of core components made from zirconium alloys are a function of the radiation-induced atomic displacements that occur during service. The vacancy and interstitial point defects and their clusters created by the atomic displacements modify the microstructure, and therefore physical properties such as strength and ductility, by forming dislocation loops. The rate of production of point defects also affects time-dependent properties such as creep and diffusion (mass transport). To simulate the effect of irradiation on core components, researchers have used materials test reactors for many years to irradiate and test materials. Such reactor tests can target an accumulated displacement damage dose to simulate the state of a material at a given stage in reactor life but at an accelerated rate. Each nuclear reactor has a specific neutron energy spectrum that also depends on the in-reactor location. Therefore, to use test reactor data to determine the effect of radiation damage on power reactor materials, one must convert the accumulated dose into a unit that is common in its effect on the material properties. For many property changes in nuclear reactor cores, this unit is displacements per atom. This paper compares the damage production for zirconium irradiated under differing neutron energy spectra in various power and test reactors. The damage rates as a function of different measures of neutron flux were used to relate atomic displacements in various materials test reactors to CANDU and light-water reactor conditions.

Author Information

Walters, Lori
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, CA
Douglas, Stephen, R.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, CA
Griffiths, Malcolm
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, CA
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Details
Developed by Committee: B10
Pages: 676–690
DOI: 10.1520/STP159720160101
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7642-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7641-6