Neutron flux impact on rate of expansion of quartz

IF 2.8 2区工程技术 Q3 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Nuclear Materials Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.155631

Ippei Maruyama , Kenta Murakami , Takahiro Ohkubo , Shohei Sawada , Osamu Kontani , Takafumi Igari , Masaki Kawai , Junji Etoh

{"title":"Neutron flux impact on rate of expansion of quartz","authors":"Ippei Maruyama , Kenta Murakami , Takahiro Ohkubo , Shohei Sawada , Osamu Kontani , Takafumi Igari , Masaki Kawai , Junji Etoh","doi":"10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.155631","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The radiation-induced expansion of concrete aggregate is a significant concern in the aging management of concrete biological shielding in nuclear power plants. Understanding the sensitivity of rock-forming minerals, particularly quartz, to neutron radiation is essential in this context. In this study, we investigated the neutron irradiation effects on different types of quartz, including synthetic quartz, metachert, sandstone, and granodiorite, under irradiation temperatures ranging from 45 to 62 ℃ and the displacement damage in quartz ranging from 0.01 to 0.23 dpa. The rate of irradiation-induced expansion was determined using X-ray diffraction/Rietveld analysis, revealing a neutron flux dependency. Our findings suggest that radiation-induced relaxation or healing processes occur within quartz. To explain the observed flux-dependent and temperature-dependent radiation-induced expansion of quartz, we propose a two-phase model that considers the pristine and expanded phases. This model, based on four key variables, i.e. neutron flux, the equivalent cross-sections for phase change, and healing parameter, successfully reproduces the radiation-induced expansion behaviors observed in quartz. The model further indicates that radiation-induced relaxation, potentially linked to the diffusion of silicon (Si) or oxygen (O) within the quartz grain, plays a healing role that mitigates radiation-induced volume expansion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":373,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nuclear Materials","volume":"606 ","pages":"Article 155631"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Nuclear Materials","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311525000261","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

The radiation-induced expansion of concrete aggregate is a significant concern in the aging management of concrete biological shielding in nuclear power plants. Understanding the sensitivity of rock-forming minerals, particularly quartz, to neutron radiation is essential in this context. In this study, we investigated the neutron irradiation effects on different types of quartz, including synthetic quartz, metachert, sandstone, and granodiorite, under irradiation temperatures ranging from 45 to 62 ℃ and the displacement damage in quartz ranging from 0.01 to 0.23 dpa. The rate of irradiation-induced expansion was determined using X-ray diffraction/Rietveld analysis, revealing a neutron flux dependency. Our findings suggest that radiation-induced relaxation or healing processes occur within quartz. To explain the observed flux-dependent and temperature-dependent radiation-induced expansion of quartz, we propose a two-phase model that considers the pristine and expanded phases. This model, based on four key variables, i.e. neutron flux, the equivalent cross-sections for phase change, and healing parameter, successfully reproduces the radiation-induced expansion behaviors observed in quartz. The model further indicates that radiation-induced relaxation, potentially linked to the diffusion of silicon (Si) or oxygen (O) within the quartz grain, plays a healing role that mitigates radiation-induced volume expansion.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Journal of Nuclear Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

25.80%

发文量

601

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Nuclear Materials publishes high quality papers in materials research for nuclear applications, primarily fission reactors, fusion reactors, and similar environments including radiation areas of charged particle accelerators. Both original research and critical review papers covering experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either fundamental or applied nature are welcome. The breadth of the field is such that a wide range of processes and properties in the field of materials science and engineering is of interest to the readership, spanning atom-scale processes, microstructures, thermodynamics, mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion, for example. Topics covered by JNM Fission reactor materials, including fuels, cladding, core structures, pressure vessels, coolant interactions with materials, moderator and control components, fission product behavior. Materials aspects of the entire fuel cycle. Materials aspects of the actinides and their compounds. Performance of nuclear waste materials; materials aspects of the immobilization of wastes. Fusion reactor materials, including first walls, blankets, insulators and magnets. Neutron and charged particle radiation effects in materials, including defects, transmutations, microstructures, phase changes and macroscopic properties. Interaction of plasmas, ion beams, electron beams and electromagnetic radiation with materials relevant to nuclear systems.