Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

In situ X-ray diffraction study of the δ to α' isothermal martensitic transformation kinetics in a Pu–Ga alloy

Journal Article · · Journal of Nuclear Materials
The sequence of phase formation and the isothermal kinetics of the δ to α' phase transformation in a Pu–1.9 at.% Ga alloy are investigated with in situ X-ray diffraction at the Advanced Photon Source. It has been proposed that the formation of a γ' intermediate phase may be responsible for the unusual double-C curve kinetics reported for this isothermal martensitic transformation. While a γ' intermediate phase was not observed at either -120 °C or -155 °C, an unexplained shoulder on the δ (1 1 1) peak was detected at -155 °C. The isothermal kinetics of the δ → α' transformation appear to fit a Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov equation, but the exponent is not described by existing JMAK theory. The double-C curve kinetics of the δ to α' transformation remain unresolved in plutonium science, and understanding this behavior is key to predicting phase stability in aging Pu–Ga alloys.
Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Energy Frontier Research in Extreme Environments (EFree)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE SC Office of Basic Energy Sciences (SC-22)
DOE Contract Number:
SC0001057
OSTI ID:
1380667
Journal Information:
Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 412; ISSN 0022-3115
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English