On the mechanism of the interactions of neutrons and gamma radiation with nuclear graphite—Implications to HTGRs

•Following initial decrease, unpaired spin concentrations increase with dose.•Following initial increase, the surface oxygen content increases with dose.•Results indicate reaction of radiation-produced O radicals with unpaired-spin surface sites.•Similar radiation effects observed for 5 recent types of nuclear grade graphites.•Impurity concentrations and EBC's fall within range for high-purity nuclear graphite.

Nuclear-grade varieties of graphite being considered for use in high-temperature gas reactors were exposed to gamma radiation (up to 87 MGy) and to fast neutrons (up to 5.4×1017 n/cm2 in air, 8.8×1011 n/cm2 in water-saturated helium). Results of XPS measurements indicated that gamma or mixed-field irradiation initially enhances the oxygen content in the surface region of the graphite, but this content decreases at higher doses, probably due to decomposition of surface CO complexes. Results of EPR measurements showed that gamma irradiation at low doses causes a decrease in the concentration of unpaired spins, but higher doses cause this concentration to rise. SQUID measurements of magnetic susceptibility support the EPR findings. At the dose range explored in this study, no structural changes were observed using XRD and Raman spectroscopy. In general, no significant differences were observed among the five varieties of graphite with respect to the effects of irradiation. Impurity analysis by means of GDMS and ICP-AES showed that impurity concentrations that concentrations of impurities, particularly those of neutron-absorbing impurities, were within the range specified for high-purity nuclear graphite. Activation relevant impurity concentrations, too, were very low.