Recently, researchers from the Nuclear Energy Engineering Materials Division of the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences have made new progress in the research and development of nuclear composite ceramic materials and irradiation evaluation. Related research results were published in "International Ceramics".
Among the various emerging materials used in the nuclear industry, ceramics and composite materials continue to receive attention and are now widely used in nuclear reactor fuels, components, and nuclear waste treatment. The large number of applications of ceramic materials in the nuclear industry are inseparable from their own performance advantages. Ceramics originally have the characteristics of high strength, high rigidity, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and good chemical stability. With the further development of ceramic materials (such as the development of ceramic matrix composite materials), some weak links in material properties are like toughness. Poor, difficult to process and other aspects have also been improved. In particular, some specific ceramics have the characteristics of anti-radiation, low activity, and ability to absorb neutrons. These properties all contribute to their application in the nuclear environment with high temperature and high radiation. Among them, the most used fission reactor nuclear fuel is uranium dioxide ceramic pellets, MOX fuel pellets and coated fuel particles, boron carbide pellets of the absorber rod absorber of fission reactors, beryllium oxide as a slow neutron reactor moderator, and ZrO2 oxygen sensor, etc.
Zirconia (ZrO2) ceramics have excellent fracture toughness, high hardness, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and high temperature resistance. They are widely used in aerospace, automotive, medical, cutting tools and other fields. In addition, they can be stabilized by adding a certain amount of Agents (such as Y2O3), which have semiconducting and sensitive characteristics, can be used as semiconductor materials, solid fuel cells and oxygen detector materials.
Researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences used high-strength zirconia-toughened alumina as the matrix, and successfully prepared a phase change + particle + whisker synergistic toughening core by adding carbide particles or whiskers with high elastic modulus Strengthened and toughened composite ceramics.
Relying on the ion beam provided by the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Accelerator, the Low Energy High Current High Charged Heavy Ion Research Device and the 320kV Comprehensive Experimental Platform, the researchers carried out a research on the radiation resistance evaluation of the toughened ZTA composite ceramics, and found for the first time Composite ceramics with specific structure and composition can effectively inhibit the formation and growth of large-size helium bubbles, and it is confirmed that composite ceramics have more excellent resistance to radiation amorphization. These results provide important reference data and scientific basis for the research and development of high-performance nuclear ceramic materials.