The feasibility of using very high temperature reactors (VHTR) as part of the next generation of nuclear reactors greatly depends on the tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles reliability to retain both gaseous and metallic fission products created in irradiated UO2. Most research devoted to TRISO fuel particles has focused on the characteristics and retention ability of silicon carbide as the main barrier against metallic fission products. This work investigates the deposition parameters necessary to create advanced TRISO particles consisting of the standard SiC TRISO coatings with an additional layer of ZrC applied directly to the UO2 fuel kernel. The additional ZrC layer will act as an oxygen getter to prevent failure mechanisms experienced in TRISO particles. Two failure mechanisms that are of the most concern are the over pressurization of the particles and kernel migration within the TRISO particles. In this study successful ZrC coatings were created and the deposition characteristics were analyzed via optical and SEM microscopy techniques. The ZrC layer was confirmed through XRD analysis. This investigation also reduced U3O8 microspheres to UO2 in an argon atmosphere. The oxygen to metal ratio from the reduced U3O8 was back calculated from oxidation analysis performed with a TGA machine. Once consistent repeatability is shown with coating surrogate zirconia kernels, advanced TRISO coatings will be deposited on the UO2 fuel kernels.
","abstract_html":"<p>The feasibility of using very high temperature reactors (VHTR) as part of the next generation of nuclear reactors greatly depends on the tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles reliability to retain both gaseous and metallic fission products created in irradiated UO2. Most research devoted to TRISO fuel particles has focused on the characteristics and retention ability of silicon carbide as the main barrier against metallic fission products. This work investigates the deposition parameters necessary to create advanced TRISO particles consisting of the standard SiC TRISO coatings with an additional layer of ZrC applied directly to the UO2 fuel kernel. The additional ZrC layer will act as an oxygen getter to prevent failure mechanisms experienced in TRISO particles. Two failure mechanisms that are of the most concern are the over pressurization of the particles and kernel migration within the TRISO particles. In this study successful ZrC coatings were created and the deposition characteristics were analyzed via optical and SEM microscopy techniques. The ZrC layer was confirmed through XRD analysis. This investigation also reduced U3O8 microspheres to UO2 in an argon atmosphere. The oxygen to metal ratio from the reduced U3O8 was back calculated from oxidation analysis performed with a TGA machine. Once consistent repeatability is shown with coating surrogate zirconia kernels, advanced TRISO coatings will be deposited on the UO2 fuel kernels.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dulude, Michael Colson"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Travis W Knight"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:14Z","subjects":["Engineering","Mechanical Engineering","Advanced TRISO","TRISO","Zirconium Carbide"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2010, Michael Colson Dulude"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2227","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Travis W Knight"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dulude, Michael Colson"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Engineering","Mechanical Engineering","Advanced TRISO","TRISO","Zirconium Carbide"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2010, Michael Colson Dulude"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2227"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The feasibility of using very high temperature reactors (VHTR) as part of the next generation of nuclear reactors greatly depends on the tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles reliability to retain both gaseous and metallic fission products created in irradiated UO2. Most research devoted to TRISO fuel particles has focused on the characteristics and retention ability of silicon carbide as the main barrier against metallic fission products. This work investigates the deposition parameters necessary to create advanced TRISO particles consisting of the standard SiC TRISO coatings with an additional layer of ZrC applied directly to the UO2 fuel kernel. The additional ZrC layer will act as an oxygen getter to prevent failure mechanisms experienced in TRISO particles. Two failure mechanisms that are of the most concern are the over pressurization of the particles and kernel migration within the TRISO particles. In this study successful ZrC coatings were created and the deposition characteristics were analyzed via optical and SEM microscopy techniques. The ZrC layer was confirmed through XRD analysis. This investigation also reduced U3O8 microspheres to UO2 in an argon atmosphere. The oxygen to metal ratio from the reduced U3O8 was back calculated from oxidation analysis performed with a TGA machine. Once consistent repeatability is shown with coating surrogate zirconia kernels, advanced TRISO coatings will be deposited on the UO2 fuel kernels.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Coating Parameters of Zirconium Carbide On Advanced Triso Fuels"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Travis W Knight"],"dc:creator":["Dulude, Michael Colson"],"dc:description.abstract":["The feasibility of using very high temperature reactors (VHTR) as part of the next generation of nuclear reactors greatly depends on the tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles reliability to retain both gaseous and metallic fission products created in irradiated UO2. Most research devoted to TRISO fuel particles has focused on the characteristics and retention ability of silicon carbide as the main barrier against metallic fission products. This work investigates the deposition parameters necessary to create advanced TRISO particles consisting of the standard SiC TRISO coatings with an additional layer of ZrC applied directly to the UO2 fuel kernel. The additional ZrC layer will act as an oxygen getter to prevent failure mechanisms experienced in TRISO particles. Two failure mechanisms that are of the most concern are the over pressurization of the particles and kernel migration within the TRISO particles. In this study successful ZrC coatings were created and the deposition characteristics were analyzed via optical and SEM microscopy techniques. The ZrC layer was confirmed through XRD analysis. This investigation also reduced U3O8 microspheres to UO2 in an argon atmosphere. The oxygen to metal ratio from the reduced U3O8 was back calculated from oxidation analysis performed with a TGA machine. Once consistent repeatability is shown with coating surrogate zirconia kernels, advanced TRISO coatings will be deposited on the UO2 fuel kernels.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2227"],"dc:rights":["© 2010, Michael Colson Dulude"],"dc:subject":["Engineering","Mechanical Engineering","Advanced TRISO","TRISO","Zirconium Carbide"],"dc:title":["Coating Parameters of Zirconium Carbide On Advanced Triso Fuels"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:14Z"}