Crystallographic changes in lead zirconate titanate due to neutron irradiation

Journal Article · Mon Nov 17 00:00:00 EST 2014 · AIP Advances

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4902179· OSTI ID:1235928

Henriques, Alexandra ^[1]; Graham, Joseph T. ^[2]; Landsberger, Sheldon ^[3]; Ihlefeld, Jon F. ^[4]; Brennecka, Geoff L.  ^[4]; Brown, Donald W. ^[5]; Forrester, Jennifer S.  ^[6]; Jones, Jacob L. ^[6]

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1. Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)
2. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
3. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
4. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
5. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
6. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

Piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials are useful as the active element in non-destructive monitoring devices for high-radiation areas. Here, crystallographic structural refinement (i.e., the Rietveld method) is used to quantify the type and extent of structural changes in PbZr_0.5Ti_0.5O₃ after exposure to a 1 MeV equivalent neutron fluence of 1.7 × 10¹⁵ neutrons/cm². The results show a measurable decrease in the occupancy of Pb and O due to irradiation, with O vacancies in the tetragonal phase being created preferentially on one of the two O sites. The results demonstrate a method by which the effects of radiation on crystallographic structure may be investigated.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 1235928
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1212191
• Report Number(s): SAND-2014-15437J; AAIDBI; 533833; TRN: US1600388
• Journal Information: AIP Advances, Vol. 4, Issue 11; ISSN 2158-3226
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
neutron radiation effects
neutrons
powders
vacancies
crystal structure
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE