Monitoring the Temperature of Reactor Experiments using Radiation-induced Swelling in SiC

Temperature monitoring of reactor experiments is an important quality requirement. High-purity silicon carbide (SiC) can be used to provide such data through post-irradiation material analysis. This method stems from radiation defect concentrations’ dependence on irradiation temperature. Irradiation temperature can be determined by measuring irradiation-induced property changes, for example lattice spacing distribution, dimensions, electrical resistivity, etc.—after isochronal annealing. Such methods are time-consuming, since multiple steps must be performed in a serial manner. We investigated the possibility of using an alternative method that does not require multiple heat treatments. Instead, peak irradiation temperature is determined by a calibration curve comparing pre- and post-irradiation sample dimensions. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach in the irradiation conditions described below. This approach can also be used to measuring changes in other properties mentioned above