TY - JOUR
T1 - Morphological characterization of the fresh ZrN coated UMo powders used in EMPIrE irradiation experiment A practical approach
AU - Housaer, François
AU - Vanni, Florence
AU - Touzin, Matthieu
AU - Béclin, Franck
AU - Allenou, Jérôme
AU - Leenaers, Ann
AU - Yacout, Abdellatif M.
AU - Palancher, Herve
AU - Stepnik, Bertrand
AU - Tougait, Olivier
N1 - Score=10
PY - 2020/3/6
Y1 - 2020/3/6
N2 - The European Mini-Plate Irradiation Experiment (EMPIrE) aims to test the in-pile behavior of various ZrN
coated UMo powder batches, produced using different technological processes. UMo(ZrN) particles are
typical core-shell systems taking advantages of a dense fissile material, UMo, with a coated ZrN layer
acting as a diffusion barrier. The U-7Mo kernels were produced by centrifugal or rotating electrode atomization
processes and the ZrN coating was performed by physical vapor deposition or atomic layer
deposition processes. A total of ten batches of UMo(ZrN) powders were examined in the as-obtained
state, i.e prior to fuel-plate fabrication and before in-pile irradiation. The present investigation gives a
characterization of each powder batch mainly in terms of morphological and microstructural features
carried out by means of SEM-EDS, LOM, EPMA, AFM and TEM analyses. Digital image processing using
ImageJ software was employed to determine several particle size (major axis, minor axis, Feret’s diameters,
and equivalent diameter) and shape (aspect ratio, circularity, convexity and concavity) parameters
as well as the ZrN deposited layer thickness. The quality of the ZrN layer was examined in terms
of surface roughness, grain structure and aggregated habits. Our characterization results draw a detailed
AB - The European Mini-Plate Irradiation Experiment (EMPIrE) aims to test the in-pile behavior of various ZrN
coated UMo powder batches, produced using different technological processes. UMo(ZrN) particles are
typical core-shell systems taking advantages of a dense fissile material, UMo, with a coated ZrN layer
acting as a diffusion barrier. The U-7Mo kernels were produced by centrifugal or rotating electrode atomization
processes and the ZrN coating was performed by physical vapor deposition or atomic layer
deposition processes. A total of ten batches of UMo(ZrN) powders were examined in the as-obtained
state, i.e prior to fuel-plate fabrication and before in-pile irradiation. The present investigation gives a
characterization of each powder batch mainly in terms of morphological and microstructural features
carried out by means of SEM-EDS, LOM, EPMA, AFM and TEM analyses. Digital image processing using
ImageJ software was employed to determine several particle size (major axis, minor axis, Feret’s diameters,
and equivalent diameter) and shape (aspect ratio, circularity, convexity and concavity) parameters
as well as the ZrN deposited layer thickness. The quality of the ZrN layer was examined in terms
of surface roughness, grain structure and aggregated habits. Our characterization results draw a detailed
KW - Microstructure
KW - Chemical segregation
KW - Particle and grain morphologies
KW - Automated image processing
UR - https://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/38106626
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152087
DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152087
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-3115
VL - 533
SP - 1
EP - 16
JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials
JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials
M1 - 152087
ER -