TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of sintering conditions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrN as a surrogate for actinide nitride fuels
AU - Wheeler, K.
AU - Peralta, Pedro
AU - Parra, M.
AU - McClellan, K.
AU - Dunwoody, J.
AU - Egeland, G.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was partially funded by the Department of Energy under the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) under Contract #DE-FC07-05ID14654 at Arizona State University, in addition to resources provided by LANL.
PY - 2007/7/1
Y1 - 2007/7/1
N2 - Pellets of sintered ZrN were studied to optimize the mechanical properties and microstructures needed in nitride fuel pellets, using ZrN as a surrogate for actinide nitrides and as potential component in low fertile and inert matrix fuels. Samples were prepared via sintering in either Ar or N2 (with and without 6% H2) and at 1300 °C or 1600 °C. A significant difference in the hardness was measured ranging from 1000 (Kg/mm2) in samples sintered at 1600 °C in argon to 100 (Kg/mm2) in samples sintered at 1300 °C in nitrogen. Samples with 6% hydrogen added to the sintering environment experienced a decrease in hardness, as well as an increase in intergranular cracking as compared to samples sintered without hydrogen, suggesting hydrogen embrittlement. Grain size was more uniform in samples sintered in pure Ar as compared to Ar-H2, while the latter had a larger fraction of high angle grain boundaries than the former. Cracking around indents had a clear tendency to follow high angle boundaries, which were found to be intrinsically weak in ZrN.
AB - Pellets of sintered ZrN were studied to optimize the mechanical properties and microstructures needed in nitride fuel pellets, using ZrN as a surrogate for actinide nitrides and as potential component in low fertile and inert matrix fuels. Samples were prepared via sintering in either Ar or N2 (with and without 6% H2) and at 1300 °C or 1600 °C. A significant difference in the hardness was measured ranging from 1000 (Kg/mm2) in samples sintered at 1600 °C in argon to 100 (Kg/mm2) in samples sintered at 1300 °C in nitrogen. Samples with 6% hydrogen added to the sintering environment experienced a decrease in hardness, as well as an increase in intergranular cracking as compared to samples sintered without hydrogen, suggesting hydrogen embrittlement. Grain size was more uniform in samples sintered in pure Ar as compared to Ar-H2, while the latter had a larger fraction of high angle grain boundaries than the former. Cracking around indents had a clear tendency to follow high angle boundaries, which were found to be intrinsically weak in ZrN.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34249942552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34249942552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.03.023
DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.03.023
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34249942552
SN - 0022-3115
VL - 366
SP - 306
EP - 316
JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials
JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials
IS - 3
ER -