SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1987
STP25681S

Irradiation Devices for Reactor Materials: Results Obtained from Irradiated Lithium Aluminate at the OSIRIS Reactor

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The study of radiation behavior is of prime importance in the investigation of fusion reactor materials. With this purpose, the “Services des Piles de Saclay” (SPS) has been using the experimental OSIRIS pool reactor, having a nominal power of 70 MW, to develop irradiation devices. The devices enable (1) the study of the crack growth on a sample under alternative stress in a neutron flux, (2) the study of stress relaxation on materials under irradiation, (3) the study of creep and growth of cylindrical test pieces in a neutron flux, (4) the irradiation of large amounts of protection ceramics of fusion reactors so as to characterize their mechanical properties, and (5) the irradiation of lithium containing ceramics, which are possible materials for the breeding blanket of a fusion reactor. The last device was used in the ALICE 1 experiment, carried out in collaboration with the “Division d'Etudes de Séparation Isotopique et de Chimie Physique” (DESICP), for the irradiation of 130 specimens of γ LiAlO2, of natural lithium 6 abundance and of various textures. The unclad samples were irradiated at 400 and 600°C, in a maximum fast flux of 2 × 1014 n · cm−2 · s−1 (E > 1 MeV) and maximum perturbed thermal flux 6 × 1013 n · cm−2 · s−1 for 26 days (from 16 Oct. to 13 Nov. 1984). The amount of tritium generated was 330 Ci. The 6Li burnup could amount to 15 to 20%. The first post irradiation examinations showed general good behavior of the samples. There were no changes in the dimensions of the samples, nor significant thermal conductivity variations. Retained tritium and helium amounts varied depending on the ceramic texture and irradiation temperature. Small variations in the sound velocity and cracks were observed only in two 600°C levels, corresponding to containers that received mechanical shocks during the dismantling of the experimental device.

Author Information

Lefevre, F
IRDI/DERPE/SPS, Centre d'études nucléaires de Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, Cedex, France
Thevenot, G
IRDI/DERPE/SPS, Centre d'études nucléaires de Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, Cedex, France
Rasneur, B
IRDI/DESICP/SPCM/SPCS, Centre d'études nucléaires de Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, Cedex, France
Botter, F
IRDI/DESICP/SPCM/SPCS, Centre d'études nucléaires de Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, Cedex, France
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Details
Developed by Committee: E10
Pages: 654–668
DOI: 10.1520/STP25681S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5017-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0963-6