CX-270376: In-Situ Ion Irradiation to Add Irradiation Assisted Grain Growth to the MARMOT Tool – Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University proposes to experimentally investigate the effects of irradiation on grain growth of UO2 at various conditions and as a function of grain size. The impacts of isothermal annealing temperature and irradiation on grain growth kinetics will be quantified in thin-film UO2 TEM samples using in-situ techniques. The experimental data will then be used to validate simulations run using MARMOT, and the effects of irradiation on grain growth will be assessed for light water reactors using the expanded MARMOT capabilities. Experimental work will include production of nano-grained UO2 TEM samples, characterization of these samples, and in-situ TEM ion irradiation experiments to investigate the influence of irradiation on UO2 grain growth.