Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1566125 | Journal of Nuclear Materials | 2012 | 7 Pages |
This paper reports on the microstructure and properties of two glass–ceramics based on SiO2–Al2O3–MgO (SAMg) and SiO2–Al2O3–Y2O3 (SAY), which have been designed to be used as pressure-less low activation joining materials for SiC/SiC and SiC based components for nuclear applications. Glass–ceramic pellets (SAY and SAMg) were irradiated for approximately 1 year in the reactor core of the LVR-15 research reactor at Nuclear Research Institute Rez, Czech Republic, at about 50 °C, 6.92 × 1024 n/m2 (E > 1 MeV, about 1 dpa in steel); SiC/SiC composites joined by SAY were irradiated about 1 year at High Flux Reactor (HFR), Petten, The Netherlands, 550 °C, 9–11 × 1024 n/m2 (E > 1 MeV, about 1.4–1.8 dpa in C), 600 °C, 16–22 × 1024 n/m2 (E > 1 MeV, about 2.6–3.3 dpa in C) and 820 °C 31–32 × 1024 n/m2(E > 1 MeV, about 5 dpa in C). Optical microscopy with image analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with X-ray microanalysis (EDS) were used to investigate the glass–ceramics morphology and composition, showing a remarkable similarity before and after neutron irradiation for both glass–ceramics. Comparison of bending strength for irradiated and non-irradiated SAY joined SiC/SiC indicate that the mechanical strength is unaffected by irradiation at these conditions.