Identification of Pd-Si Compounds in Diffusion Couple Studies to Complement AGR PIE reports

Palladium (Pd) and silver (Ag) are known fission products of TRISO particle nuclear fuels [1]. Pd is known to corrode the silicon carbide (SiC) layer of a TRISO particle, which can compromise the overall fuel performance [2,3]. This study sets out to identify Pd-Si formations in SiC in order to better understand the corrosion of the SiC layer, and therefore the diffusion of Ag out of the TRISO layers found in AGR PIE reports. As of present, Pd has been observed to degrade SiC at 1000 °C; the extent of Pd diffusion and Pd-SiC compounds have yet to be determined.