Direct Observation of Sink-Dependent Defect Evolution in Nanocrystalline Iron under Irradiation

El Atwani, Osman; Nathaniel, James; Leff, Asher C.; Hattar, Khalid; Taheri, MItra L.

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01744-x

Direct Observation of Sink-Dependent Defect Evolution in Nanocrystalline Iron under Irradiation

Journal Article · Fri May 12 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Scientific Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01744-x· OSTI ID:1431071

^[1]; Nathaniel, James ^[2]; Leff, Asher C. ^[2]; Hattar, Khalid ^[3]; Taheri, MItra L. ^[2]

Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering; Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Department of Radiation Solid Interactions

Crystal defects generated during irradiation can result in severe changes in morphology and an overall degradation of mechanical properties in a given material. Nanomaterials have been proposed as radiation damage tolerant materials, due to the hypothesis that defect density decreases with grain size refinement due to the increase in grain boundary surface area. The lower defect density should arise from grain boundary-point defect absorption and enhancement of interstitial-vacancy annihilation. In this study, low energy helium ion irradiation on free-standing iron thin films were performed at 573 K. Interstitial loops of a ₀ /2 [111] Burgers vector were directly observed as a result of the displacement damage. Loop density trends with grain size demonstrated an increase in the nanocrystalline (<100 nm) regime, but scattered behavior in the transition from the nanocrystalline to the ultra-fine regime (100–500 nm). To examine the validity of such trends, loop density and area for different grains at various irradiation doses were compared and revealed efficient defect absorption in the nanocrystalline grain size regime, but loop coalescence in the ultra-fine grain size regime. Lastly, a relationship between the denuded zone formation, a measure of grain boundary absorption efficiency, grain size, grain boundary type and misorientation angle is determined.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000; AC52-06NA25396; SC0008274

OSTI ID:: 1431071

Report Number(s):: LA-UR--17-30505

Journal Information:: Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 7; ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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