Hydrogen concentration measurement in fuel cladding by backscattered electron image analysis

Onozawa, Atsushi ; Harada, Akio; Honda, Junichi; Yasuda, Ryo; Nakata, Masahito; Kanazawa, Hiroyuki; Nishino, Yasuharu 

A measurement technique for hydrogen concentration using Backscattered Electron Image analysis (BEI method) had been developed by Studsvik Nuclear AB, Sweden. The hydrides in claddings are identified using BEIs which are imaged with Scanning Electron Microscope, and the hydrogen concentrations are calculated from the area fractions of the hydrides in the matrix. The BEI method is very useful for the measurement in local hydrogen concentrations of fuel claddings. In the Reactor Fuel Examination Facility, a sample preparation, imaging conditions of SEM and image analysis procedures for the BEI method were improved. In addition, the hydrogen concentrations obtained by the improved BEI method and Hot Vacuum Extraction (HVE) method were compared to confirm the reliability of the improved BEI method. The results showed, the improved BEI method has the same reliability as that of HVE method and can be applied for the Post-Irradiation Examination.