Eine neue Untersuchungstechnik in der Metallanalyse

A method, named “cold oxidation” was developed, by which structures of isotropic looking pyrocarbon coatings of nuclear fuel particles can be made visible. It is based on a dry oxidation of the pyrocarbon at room temperature by highly excited oxygen. The amorphous parts of the pyrocarbon coatings burn off more quickly than the pyrocarbon itself and thereby a relief-like coating structure appears. It could be shown that a connection exists between the structure of the pyrocarbon coatings after “cold oxidation” and their behaviour under fast neutron irradiation.