Structural changes induced by heavy ion irradiation in titanium silicon carbide

Jean-Christophe Nappé (1, 2, 3) , Isabelle Monnet (4) , Philippe Grosseau (1, 2, 3) , F. Audubert (5) , Bernard Guilhot (1, 2, 3, 6) , Michel Beauvy (5) , Mourad Benabdesselam (7) , Lionel Thomé (8)

1 SPIN-ENSMSE - Centre Sciences des Processus Industriels et Naturels
2 P2MC-ENSMSE - Département Poudres et Matériaux Multi-Composants
3 LPMG-EMSE - Laboratoire des Procédés en Milieux Granulaires
4 CIMAP - UMR 6252 - Centre de recherche sur les Ions, les MAtériaux et la Photonique
5 LTEC - Laboratoire des Technologies d'Elaboration des Combustibles
6 CIS-ENSMSE - Centre Ingénierie et Santé
7 LPMC - Laboratoire de physique de la matière condensée
8 CSNSM - Centre de Spectrométrie Nucléaire et de Spectrométrie de Masse

Carbide-type ceramics, which have remarkable thermomechanical properties, are sensed to manufacture the fuel cladding of Generation IV reactors that should work at high temperature. The MAX phases, and more particularly titanium silicon carbide, are distinguished from other materials by their ability to have some plasticity, even at room temperature. For this study, polycrystalline Ti3SiC2 was irradiated with ions of different energies, which allow to discriminate the effect of both electronic and nuclear interactions. After characterization by low-incidence X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, it appears that Ti3SiC2 is not sensitive to electronic excitations while nuclear shocks damage its structure. The results show the creation of many defects and disorder in the structure, an expansion of the hexagonal close-packed lattice along the c axis, and an increase in the microstrain yield.

Mots clés: Ti3SiC2; ion irradiation; nuclear and electronic interactions; low-incidence X-ray diffraction; cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy

Domaines: Génie des procédés; Matériaux; Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Jean-Christophe Nappé, Isabelle Monnet, Philippe Grosseau, F. Audubert, Bernard Guilhot, et al.. Structural changes induced by heavy ion irradiation in titanium silicon carbide. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2011, 409 (1), pp.53-61. ⟨10.1016/j.jnucmat.2010.12.235⟩. ⟨hal-00558236⟩