The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and diffusion of silver in pyrolytic carbon coatings

It is well accepted that TRISO (tristructural isotropic) coated nuclear fuel particles are capable of retaining fission products up to 1600 °C, however above this temperature fission products can diffuse through the pyrolytic carbon (PyC) and silicon carbide coatings that act as the containment barriers in this fuel. Despite decades of research and development, little is known on the origin of this fuel temperature limit. In order to understand...