ABSTRACT
HREM studies of carbon removed from the surface of an AGR fuel-pin show the presence of at least three forms of carbon. These can be described broadly as: lamellar, microcrystalline and filamentous. The degree of ordering and stacking of the sheets of hexagonally packed carbon atoms observed is unlikely to arise solely from pyrolidc deposition and some catalytic intervention is envisaged. Protection from carbon deposition can be obtained by creating Cr-rich surfaces. Initial experiments demonstrating the nucleation and growth of Cr oxides from grain boundaries are presented.
