Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Radionuclides in Irradiated Graphite of Industrial Uranium–Graphite Reactors: Effect of Irradiation and Thermochemical Treatment on the Graphite Structure

  • Published:
Radiochemistry Aims and scope

Abstract

The structure of irradiated graphite from decommissioned industrial uranium–graphite reactors was studied. The extent of disturbance of the graphite structure is closely correlated with temperature and integral neutral fluence. The perfection of the structure of graphite samples (data of X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy) does not correlate with their radioactivity, which is due to low absolute concentration of the radionuclides. Mapping of the samples using Raman spectroscopy reveals spatial heterogeneity of the distribution of graphite lattice damages, which casts doubt on the representativeness of the spectra of individual points. The spatial distribution of domains differing in the crystal lattice perfection was studied for the first time and was compared with the radionuclide distribution. Satisfactory correlation between the radiographic and spectroscopic mapping data is observed for some samples. Irradiated graphite is strongly textured and contains amorphous microvolumes, which are probably radionuclide carriers. Thermochemical treatment (oxidation in O2, thermal shock) leads to degradation of the irradiated graphite structure on the submicron level, accompanied by a drastic decrease in the mechanical strength of the samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nightingale, R.E., Nuclear Graphite, Academic, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Simmons, J.H.W., Radiation Damage in Graphite, vol. 102 of Int. Ser. of Monographs in Nuclear Energy, Pergamon, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Goncharov, V.V., Burdakov, N.S., Virgil’ev, Yu.S., et al., Deistvie oblucheniya na grafit yadernykh reaktorov (Action of Irradiation on Nuclear Reactor Graphite), Atomizdat, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Thrower, P.A. and Reynolds, W.N., J. Nucl. Mater., 1963, vol. 8, pp. 221–226.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Shtrombakh, Y.I., Gurovich, B.A., Platonov, P.A., and Alekseev, V.M., J. Nucl. Mater., 1995, vol. 225, pp. 273–301.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Telling, R.H. and Heggie, M.I., Phil. Mag., 2007, vol. 87, no. 31, pp. 4797–4846.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Tanabe, T., Muto, S., Gotoh, Y., and Niwase, K., J. Nucl. Mater., 1990, vol. 175, pp. 258–261.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tanabe, T., Muto, S., and Niwase, K., Appl. Phys. Lett., 1992, vol. 61, pp. 1638–1640.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mironov, B.E., Freeman, H.M., Brown, A.P., et al., Carbon, 2015, vol. 83, pp. 106–117.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hinks, J.A., Jones, A.N., Theodosiou, A., et al., J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., 2012, p. 012 046.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hinks, J.A., Jones, A.N., and Donnelly, S.E., MRS Proc., 2012, vol. 1383, paper mrsf11-1383-a11-03.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hinks, J.A., Haigh, S.J., Greaves, G., et al., Carbon, 2014, vol. 68, pp. 273–284.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Christie, H.J., Robinson, M., Roach, D., et al., Carbon, 2015, vol. 81, pp. 105–114.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Volkova, A.G., Zakharova, E.V., Pavlyuk, A.O., and Shiryaev, A.A., Radiochemistry, 2018, vol. 60, no. 5, pp. 558–562.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Volkova, A.G., Zakharova, E.V., Rodygina, N.I., et al., Radiochemistry, 2018, vol. 60, no. 6, pp. 657–663.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Wojdyr, M., J. Appl. Crystallogr., 2010, vol. 43, pp. 1126–1128.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Virgil’ev, Yu.S. and Kalyagina, I.P., in Konstruktsionnye materialy na osnove ugleroda: Sbornik trudov (Carbon-Based Structural Materials: Coll. of Works), Moscow: Metallurgiya, 1975, issue 10, pp. 122–131.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kurdyumov, A.V. and Pilyankevich, A.N., Fazovye prevrashcheniya v uglerode i nitride bora (Phase Transitions in Carbon and Boron Nitride), Kiev: Naukova Dumka, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Rouzaud, J.-N., Ammar, M.R., Gosmain, L., et al., in Annual World Conf. on Carbon, Krakow, 2012, pp. 1337–1340.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Ziegler, J.F., Biersack, J., and Littmark, U., The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter, Pergamon, 1985.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  21. Ferrari, A.C., MRS Proc., 2001, vol. 675, pp. W11.5.1–W.11.5.12.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Beny-Bassez, C. and Rouzaud, J.-N., in Scanning Electron Microscopy, Chicago: SEM, 1985, pp. 119–132.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Sadezky, A., Muckenhube, H., Grothe, H., et al., Carbon, 2005, vol. 43, pp. 1731–1742.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Shimodaira, N. and Masui, A., J. Appl. Phys., 2002, vol. 92, pp. 902–909.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Shiryaev, A.A., Voloshchuk, A.M., Volkov, V.V., et al., J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., 2017, vol. 848, p. 012 009.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Smith, M.W., Dallmeyer, I., Johnson, T.J., et al., Carbon, 2016, vol. 100, pp. 678–692.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ferrari, A.C. and Robertson, J., Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London A: Math., Phys. Eng. Sci., 2004, vol. 362, pp. 2477–2512.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ammar, M.R. and Rouzaud, J.-N., J. Raman Spectrosc., 2012, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 207–211.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 31, korp. 4, Moscow, 119071, Russia

    A. A. Shiryaev, A. G. Volkova, E. V. Zakharova, M. S. Nikolsky & A. A. Averin

  2. Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnyi per. 35, Moscow, 119017, Russia

    A. A. Shiryaev & M. S. Nikolsky

  3. Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    A. A. Shiryaev & E. A. Dolgopolova

  4. Department of Geology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    V. O. Yapaskurt

Authors
  1. A. A. Shiryaev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. G. Volkova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. V. Zakharova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. S. Nikolsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. A. Averin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. E. A. Dolgopolova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. V. O. Yapaskurt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. A. Shiryaev.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © A.A. Shiryaev, A.G. Volkova, E.V. Zakharova, M.S. Nikolsky, A.A. Averin, E.A. Dolgopolova, V.O. Yapaskurt, 2018, published in Radiokhimiya, 2018, Vol. 60, No. 6, pp. 564–570.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shiryaev, A.A., Volkova, A.G., Zakharova, E.V. et al. Radionuclides in Irradiated Graphite of Industrial Uranium–Graphite Reactors: Effect of Irradiation and Thermochemical Treatment on the Graphite Structure. Radiochemistry 60, 664–671 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1066362218060164

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1066362218060164

Keywords

Search

Navigation