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Temperature-Dependent Multi-Scale Pore Evolution and Nitrogen Diffusion in Nuclear Graphite

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Abstract

Two- and three-dimensional pore evolutions along with nitrogen diffusion behavior in nuclear graphite were studied using thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. Calculated nitrogen diffusion activation energy was approximately 2.5 kJ·mol−1. Stable weight loss of graphite specimens increased with temperature, primarily due to more escaped nitrogen from the graphite matrix. Fewer nano-pores and more micro-pores were formed because of the nano-pore coalescence. At 873 K (600 °C), graphite microstructure evolution might be induced by temperature and mild oxidation. Before being placed into high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), porous nuclear graphite should be subjected to vacuum at 573 K to 673 K (300 °C to 400 °C) to minimize 14N in the pores and 14C generated during operation of HTGRs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Yanan Fu, Dr. Biao Deng, and Dr. Rongchang Chen at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility for help with X-ray imaging. The authors also acknowledge funding provided by the project from China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under the Grant 2016M591164 and the National Science and Technology Major Projects under the grant ZX06901.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics & Fine Processing, Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P.R. China

    Longkui Zhu, Zhengcao Li, Mingyang Li & Wei Miao

  2. Department of Reactor Engineering Research and Design, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, 102413, P.R. China

    Menghe Tu

  3. Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P.R. China

    Hong Li

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Alex A. Volinsky

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  1. Longkui Zhu
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  2. Menghe Tu
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  3. Zhengcao Li
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  4. Mingyang Li
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  5. Wei Miao
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  6. Hong Li
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  7. Alex A. Volinsky
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Correspondence to Zhengcao Li or Alex A. Volinsky.

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Manuscript submitted June 14, 2016.

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Zhu, L., Tu, M., Li, Z. et al. Temperature-Dependent Multi-Scale Pore Evolution and Nitrogen Diffusion in Nuclear Graphite. Metall Mater Trans A 48, 3008–3016 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-017-4076-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-017-4076-z

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