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NEEP 541 – Graphite Damage. Fall 2002 Jake Blanchard. Outline. Radiation Damage in Graphite Graphite structure Swelling Thermomechanical properties sputtering. Graphite Crystal Structure. Crystal is hexagonal
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NEEP 541 – Graphite Damage Fall 2002 Jake Blanchard
Outline • Radiation Damage in Graphite • Graphite structure • Swelling • Thermomechanical properties • sputtering
Graphite Crystal Structure • Crystal is hexagonal • Planes of atoms are strongly bonded (covalent) within the plane, but the plane-to-plane bonding is relatively weak (van der Waals) [lubrication] • Crystal cleaves easily parallel to the basal planes • Physical properties are highly anisotropic
Types of Graphite • Pyrolitic – highly oriented • Polycrystalline graphites with randomly oriented grains • POCO graphite is fine-grained, giving it high strength and high failure strains • Graphnol is similar to POCO, but with smaller thermal expansion coefficient
Irradiation of Graphite • Neutron irradiation produces point defects • Interstitials form loops (immobile) or small, mobile clusters • Vacancies form loops or collapse lattice within layer planes • Growth occurs perpendicular to layer planes due to interstitials and shrinkage occurs parallel to planes due to relaxation of lattice around vacancies or lines of vacancies
Swelling of Graphite • Graphite usually shrinks initially due to pore closure • Graphite is porous due to cooling from the graphitizing temperature • After initial shrinkage, growth occurs • When volume returns to initial value, structural properties are poor
Thermomechanical Properties • Modulus and thermal conductivity increase as density increases, then decrease
Polycrystalline Graphite Thermal expansion coefficient Thermal conductivity Elastic modulus
Sputtering • Both physical and chemical sputtering occur in graphite
Pyrolitic Carbon Sputtering He D H
Chemical Sputtering • Molecules are formed on surface due to chemical reaction between incident ion and carbon atoms with binding energy low enough to desorb • Molecule then is not bound to surface • A third process (radiation enhanced sublimation) allows target atoms to be thermally released from surface
Chemical Sputtering • With incident hydrogen, sputtering yield peaks around 800-900 K • Peak yield is 0.1 ions/ion