Influence de la vitesse de graphitisation de produits carbones sur les variations dimensionnelles causees par l'irradiation neutronique

Abstract Two types of baked carbon were graphitised by heat treatments at rates varying from 50°C hr −1 to 3300°C hr −1 . It was found that for both types of carbon, an increase in the heating rate leads to considerable changes in the texture of the graphitised product, particularly in the apparent density, helium density and in microporosity. In view of these textural differences in graphitised products, different dimensional effects of neutron irradiation were predictable. A method of simulation by bromination showed this to be the case. An irradiation experiment at 550°C to doses of about 3.5 × 10 21 n cm −2 EDN confirmed the results obtained by bromination.