Dimensional and material property changes to irradiated Gilsocarbon graphite irradiated between 650 and 750 °C

Abstract

Samples of Gilsocarbon graphite have been recently irradiated in the High Flux Reactor at Petten. They were irradiated in an inert atmosphere to a fast neutron dose of between 3 and 10 dpa, at temperatures of between 650 and 750 °C, this irradiation dose equates to approximately dimensional change ‘turnaround’. The present understanding of the irradiation induced microstructural changes considered to lead to the irradiation induced dimensional and material property changes are discussed and correlations between the various property changes noted. However, at present there are few microstructural studies to confirm or refute these theories. A methodology proposed to convert graphite CTE measurement, for all types graphite, from one temperature range to another is shown to be applicable to both unirradiated and irradiated Gilsocarbon graphite. In addition an important relationship for the thermal conductivity temperature dependence of irradiated Gilsocarbon graphite is shown to be reasonable.