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A candidate Ni Mo Cr Fe alloy (GH3535) for application as a structural material in a molten salt nuclear reactor was irradiated with 1 MeV Kr 2+ ions (723 K, max dose of 100 dpa) at the IVEM-Tandem facility. The evolution of defects like dislocation loops and vacancy- and self-interstitial clusters was examined in-situ . For obtaining a deeper insight into the true nature of these defects, the irradiated sample was further analysed under a TEM post-facto . The results show that there is a range of different types of defects formed under irradiation. Interaction of radiation defects with each other and with pre-existing defects, e.g., linear dislocations, leads to the formation of complex microstructures. Molecular dynamics simulations used to obtain a greater understanding of these defect transformations showed that the interaction between linear dislocations and radiation induced dislocation loops could form faulted structures that explain the fringed contrast of these defects observed in TEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel soft chemistry route was developed to synthesize Y 2 Hf x Ti 2− x O 7 (0≤ x ≤2.0) oxide solid solution. An aqueous solution containing reactants was produced to ensure the combustion reaction taking place at the molecular level. A suite of characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Raman, transmission electron spectroscopy, as well as X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), is employed to investigate the structural and phase changes of the series. Both X-ray and electron diffraction patterns show that the Y 2 Hf x Ti 2− x O 7 system undergoes a clear composition-induced phase transition from ordered pyrochlore to disordered defect-fluorite at x ~1.5. On the other hand, Raman and XANES spectra reveal a gradual evolution of the local structure with the substitution of Hf for Ti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the creep deformation properties of GH3535, a Ni–Mo–Cr corrosion resistant structural alloy being considered for use in future Gen IV molten salt nuclear reactors (MSR) operating at around 700 °C. Creep testing of the alloy was conducted at 650–750 °C under applied stresses between 85–380 MPa. From the creep rupture results the long term creep strain and rupture life of the alloy were estimated by applying the Dorn Shepard and Larson Miller time-temperature parameters and the alloy's allowable ASME design stresses at the MSR's operating temperature were evaluated. The material's microstructural degradation at creep rupture was characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microstructural study revealed that the material failure was due to wedge cracking at triple grain boundary points and cavitation at coarse secondary grain boundary precipitates, nucleated and grown during high temperature exposure, leading to intergranular crack propagation. EBSD local misorientation maps clearly show that the root cause of cavitation and crack propagation was due to large strain localisation at the grain boundaries and triple points instigated by grain boundary sliding during creep deformation. This caused the grain boundary decohesion and subsequent material failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]