Fission products silver, palladium, and cadmium identification in neutron-irradiated SiC TRISO particles using a Cs-Corrected HRTEM

Electron microscopy investigations of selected coated particles from the first advanced gas reactor experiment at Idaho National Laboratory provided important information on fission product distribution and chemical composition in the silicon-carbide (SiC) layer. Silver precipitates were nano-sized, and therefore high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was used to provide more information at the atomic level. Based on gamma-ray analysis, this particle which was irradiated to an average burnup of 19.38% fissions per initial metal atom, may have released as much as 10% of its available Ag-110 m inventory during irradiation. The HRTEM investigation focused on silver, palladium, and cadmium due to interest in silver transport mechanisms and possible correlation with palladium and silver previously found. Palladium, silver, and cadmium were found to co-exist in some of the SiC grain boundaries and triple junctions. This study confirmed palladium both at inter and intragranular sites. Phosphor was identified in SiC grain boundaries and triple points. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.