Ion Beam Irradiation Experiment to Simulate Fast Neutron Damage in Nickel Exposed to Molten Salt

A novel technology for Accelerator-based Destruction of Actinides in Molten salt (ADAM) is being developed as a method to destroy the transuranics in used nuclear fuel. The core structural components are exposed to radiation damage by fast-spectrum neutrons and corrosion in $\sim$600 C chloride molten fuel salt. Candidate materials for the core vessel and structural components are Ni and Ni-based alloys. An to expose candidate materials to simultaneous molten salt corrosion and ion-beam damage are staged at the Ion Beam Materials Laboratory at Los Alamos National Laboratory. A thin Ni window is engineered to allow the 5.5 MeV proton beam to pass through the window and deposit approximately 20 DPA at the molten salt interfacing surface. CeCl$_{3}$-NaCl is employed as a surrogate for the actinide chloride salt. Irradiation occurs over one week, allowing 100 hours of molten salt exposure. The experimental design and preliminary modeling will be presented here.