Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite

Physical mechanisms at different length scales have to be taken into account while predicting the overall failure of nuclear graphite structures of advanced gas cooled graphite reactors. In this paper, the effect of composition of meso graphite phases and porosity on the aggregate elastic properties...

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Main Author: Sun, Wei
Format: Article
Published: Elsevier 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35126/
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author Sun, Wei
author_facet Sun, Wei
author_sort Sun, Wei
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Physical mechanisms at different length scales have to be taken into account while predicting the overall failure of nuclear graphite structures of advanced gas cooled graphite reactors. In this paper, the effect of composition of meso graphite phases and porosity on the aggregate elastic properties is predicted using the Eshelby homogenisation method. Results indicate an overall decrease in elastic modulus with an increase in porosity. Subsequently, the moduli at different porosity levels are used to predict the critical strain energy release rates for crack propagation of graphite, and fracture behaviour is studied using compact tension and four point bending tests. Compared to flexural strength at zero porosity level, significant reduction in strength of up to 80% at 30% porosity level is observed. Evolution of flexural strength due to porosity is also compared against available experimental values of graphite from UK nuclear plants.
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spelling nottingham-351262020-05-04T20:10:10Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35126/ Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite Sun, Wei Physical mechanisms at different length scales have to be taken into account while predicting the overall failure of nuclear graphite structures of advanced gas cooled graphite reactors. In this paper, the effect of composition of meso graphite phases and porosity on the aggregate elastic properties is predicted using the Eshelby homogenisation method. Results indicate an overall decrease in elastic modulus with an increase in porosity. Subsequently, the moduli at different porosity levels are used to predict the critical strain energy release rates for crack propagation of graphite, and fracture behaviour is studied using compact tension and four point bending tests. Compared to flexural strength at zero porosity level, significant reduction in strength of up to 80% at 30% porosity level is observed. Evolution of flexural strength due to porosity is also compared against available experimental values of graphite from UK nuclear plants. Elsevier 2015-02 Article PeerReviewed Sun, Wei (2015) Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 457 . pp. 42-47. ISSN 0022-3115 Nuclear graphite micromechanics graphite phases fracture mechanics http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311514007557 doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.10.071 doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.10.071
spellingShingle Nuclear graphite
micromechanics
graphite phases
fracture mechanics
Sun, Wei
Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite
title Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite
title_full Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite
title_fullStr Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite
title_full_unstemmed Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite
title_short Effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite
title_sort effects of compositions of filler, binder and porosity on elastic and fracture properties of nuclear graphite
topic Nuclear graphite
micromechanics
graphite phases
fracture mechanics
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35126/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35126/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35126/