Understanding irradiation-induced nanoprecipitation in zirconium alloys using parallel TEM and APT

A. Harte; R. Prasath Babu; C.a. Hirst; T.l. Martin; P.a.j. Bagot; M.p. Moody; P. Frankel; J. Romero; L. Hallstadius; E.c. Darby; M. Preuss

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.033

Understanding irradiation-induced nanoprecipitation in zirconium alloys using parallel TEM and APT

A. Harte, R. Prasath Babu, C.a. Hirst, T.l. Martin, P.a.j. Bagot, M.p. Moody, P. Frankel, J. Romero, L. Hallstadius, E.c. Darby, M. Preuss

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We investigate nano-scale irradiation-induced precipitation in a ZrSnFeCrNi-alloy (Zircaloy-2) by combining atom probe tomography (APT) for chemical detail with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and high resolution energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy for wider context and complimentary and correlative TEM diffraction techniques for crystallographic relationships. We find that Fe and Cr-rich nano-rods precipitate in Zircaloy-2 following proton irradiation at 350 °C to a low dose of ∼2 dpa. The long-axis of the nano-rods are aligned in a direction 12–15° from the Zr matrix 〈0001〉, align in the basal plane and are of width 1.5–5 nm. Smaller rods are of APT-determined composition Zr₄(Fe_0.67Cr_0.33), tending towards Zr₃(Fe_0.69Cr_0.31) as the rod volume increases to > ∼400 nm³, in agreement with STEM-EDX determination of composition resembling that of Zr₃Fe with Cr replacing some of the Fe. The Fe/Cr ratio has been shown to increase with distance from the nearest partially-dissolved Zr(Fe,Cr)₂ s phase particle. The nucleation of nano rods has implications for macroscopic irradiation-induced deformation phenomena, irradiation-induced hardening and the evolution of dislocation loops and other defects.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Early online date	17 Aug 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.033
Publication status	Published - 2018

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https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022311518304963

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@article{6486250b1d09426a82b7bf2bf23f570a,

title = "Understanding irradiation-induced nanoprecipitation in zirconium alloys using parallel TEM and APT",

abstract = "We investigate nano-scale irradiation-induced precipitation in a ZrSnFeCrNi-alloy (Zircaloy-2) by combining atom probe tomography (APT) for chemical detail with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and high resolution energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy for wider context and complimentary and correlative TEM diffraction techniques for crystallographic relationships. We find that Fe and Cr-rich nano-rods precipitate in Zircaloy-2 following proton irradiation at 350 °C to a low dose of ∼2 dpa. The long-axis of the nano-rods are aligned in a direction 12–15° from the Zr matrix 〈0001〉, align in the basal plane and are of width 1.5–5 nm. Smaller rods are of APT-determined composition Zr4(Fe0.67Cr0.33), tending towards Zr3(Fe0.69Cr0.31) as the rod volume increases to > ∼400 nm3, in agreement with STEM-EDX determination of composition resembling that of Zr3Fe with Cr replacing some of the Fe. The Fe/Cr ratio has been shown to increase with distance from the nearest partially-dissolved Zr(Fe,Cr)2 s phase particle. The nucleation of nano rods has implications for macroscopic irradiation-induced deformation phenomena, irradiation-induced hardening and the evolution of dislocation loops and other defects.",

author = "A. Harte and Babu, {R. Prasath} and C.a. Hirst and T.l. Martin and P.a.j. Bagot and M.p. Moody and P. Frankel and J. Romero and L. Hallstadius and E.c. Darby and M. Preuss",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.033",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Nuclear Materials",

issn = "0022-3115",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Understanding irradiation-induced nanoprecipitation in zirconium alloys using parallel TEM and APT

AU - Harte, A.

AU - Babu, R. Prasath

AU - Hirst, C.a.

AU - Martin, T.l.

AU - Bagot, P.a.j.

AU - Moody, M.p.

AU - Frankel, P.

AU - Romero, J.

AU - Hallstadius, L.

AU - Darby, E.c.

AU - Preuss, M.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - We investigate nano-scale irradiation-induced precipitation in a ZrSnFeCrNi-alloy (Zircaloy-2) by combining atom probe tomography (APT) for chemical detail with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and high resolution energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy for wider context and complimentary and correlative TEM diffraction techniques for crystallographic relationships. We find that Fe and Cr-rich nano-rods precipitate in Zircaloy-2 following proton irradiation at 350 °C to a low dose of ∼2 dpa. The long-axis of the nano-rods are aligned in a direction 12–15° from the Zr matrix 〈0001〉, align in the basal plane and are of width 1.5–5 nm. Smaller rods are of APT-determined composition Zr4(Fe0.67Cr0.33), tending towards Zr3(Fe0.69Cr0.31) as the rod volume increases to > ∼400 nm3, in agreement with STEM-EDX determination of composition resembling that of Zr3Fe with Cr replacing some of the Fe. The Fe/Cr ratio has been shown to increase with distance from the nearest partially-dissolved Zr(Fe,Cr)2 s phase particle. The nucleation of nano rods has implications for macroscopic irradiation-induced deformation phenomena, irradiation-induced hardening and the evolution of dislocation loops and other defects.

AB - We investigate nano-scale irradiation-induced precipitation in a ZrSnFeCrNi-alloy (Zircaloy-2) by combining atom probe tomography (APT) for chemical detail with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and high resolution energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy for wider context and complimentary and correlative TEM diffraction techniques for crystallographic relationships. We find that Fe and Cr-rich nano-rods precipitate in Zircaloy-2 following proton irradiation at 350 °C to a low dose of ∼2 dpa. The long-axis of the nano-rods are aligned in a direction 12–15° from the Zr matrix 〈0001〉, align in the basal plane and are of width 1.5–5 nm. Smaller rods are of APT-determined composition Zr4(Fe0.67Cr0.33), tending towards Zr3(Fe0.69Cr0.31) as the rod volume increases to > ∼400 nm3, in agreement with STEM-EDX determination of composition resembling that of Zr3Fe with Cr replacing some of the Fe. The Fe/Cr ratio has been shown to increase with distance from the nearest partially-dissolved Zr(Fe,Cr)2 s phase particle. The nucleation of nano rods has implications for macroscopic irradiation-induced deformation phenomena, irradiation-induced hardening and the evolution of dislocation loops and other defects.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.033

DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.033

M3 - Article

SN - 0022-3115

JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials

JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials

ER -

Understanding irradiation-induced nanoprecipitation in zirconium alloys using parallel TEM and APT

Abstract

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