| This work describes the development of a capability that enables micrometer-scale strength characterization of the buffer, IPC, and buffer-IPyC interface of TRISO particles. TRISO particle-based fuel is an attractive accident tolerant fuel for advanced reactors. Results are intended to fill a recognized gap in the knowledge base regarding the characteristics of individual layers and interlayer bonds of TRISO particles under development as part of the DOE’s AGR Program. The capability involves the use of FIB micromachining and in-situ SEM tensile testing of TRISO particle tensile samples to achieve results. Baseline materialsof copper, molybdenum, silicon,and ZrO2 fuel surrogate TRISO particles are the sole materials tested in this work.The tensile strength results obtained from the baseline materials align with the known literature and the fracture behavior of one TRISO particle sample containing the buffer-IPyC interlayer was obtained. Unirradiated and Irradiated TRISO fuel particles are the subject of future work.Keywords:buffer; inner pyrolitic carbon (IPC); tri-structural isotropic (TRISO); focused ion beam (FIB); scanning electron microscope (SEM), PicoIndenter. |