1. Microstructure and microchemistry study of irradiation-induced precipitates in proton irradiated ZrNb alloys.
- Author
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Yu, Zefeng, Zhang, Chenyu, Voyles, Paul M., He, Lingfeng, Liu, Xiang, Nygren, Kelly, and Couet, Adrien
- Subjects
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SCANNING transmission electron microscopy , *IONIZING radiation , *MICROCHEMISTRY , *ENERGY dispersive X-ray spectroscopy , *PROTONS , *ALLOYS , *NEUTRON irradiation , *MICROSTRUCTURE - Abstract
Proton irradiation induced Nb redistribution in Zr-xNb alloys (x = 0.4, 0.5, 1.0 wt%) has been investigated using scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM/EDS). Zr-xNb alloys are mainly composed of Zr matrix, native Zr–Nb–Fe phases, and β-Nb precipitates. After 2 MeV proton irradiation at 350 °C, a decrease of Nb content in native precipitates, as well as irradiation-induced precipitation of Nb-rich platelets (135 ± 69 nm long and 27 ± 12 nm wide) were found. Nb-rich platelets and Zr matrix form the Burgers orientation relationship, [ 1 1 ¯ 1 ]//[ 2 1 ¯ 1 ¯ 0 ] and (011)//(0002). The platelets were found to be mostly coherent with the matrix with a few dislocations near the ends of the precipitate. The coherent strain field has been measured in the matrix and platelets by the 4D-STEM technique. The growth of Nb-rich platelets is mainly driven by coherency and dislocation-induced strain fields. Irradiation may both enhance the diffusion and induce segregation of interstitial Nb to the ends of the irradiation induced platelets, further facilitating their growth. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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