In situ studies of phase transformations in zirconium alloys and compounds under irradiation

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:479453

Motta, A T; Faldowski, J A ^[1]; Howe, L M ^[2]; Okamoto, P R ^[3]

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1. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
2. AECL, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada). Chalk River Labs.
3. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Materials Science Div.

The High Voltage Electron Microscope (HVEM)/Tandem facility at Argonne National Laboratory has been used to conduct detailed studies of the phase stability and microstructural evolution in zirconium alloys and compounds under ion and electron irradiation. Detailed kinetic studies of the crystalline-to-amorphous transformation of the intermetallic compounds Zr{sub 3}(Fe{sub 1{minus}x},Ni{sub x}), Zr(Fe{sub 1{minus}x},Cr{sub x}){sub 2}, Zr{sub 3}Fe, and Zr{sub 1.5}Nb{sub 1.5}Fe, both as second phase precipitates and in bulk form, have been performed using the in situ capabilities of the Argonne facility under a variety of irradiation conditions (temperature, dose rate). Results include a verification of a dose rate effect on amorphization and the influence of material variables (stoichiometry x, presence of stacking faults, crystal structure) on the critical temperature and on the critical dose for amorphization. Studies were also conducted of the microstructural evolution under irradiation of specially tailored binary and ternary model alloys. The stability of the {omega}-phase precipitation in Zr-2.5Nb under Ar ion irradiation. The ensemble of these results is discussed in terms of theoretical models of amorphization and of irradiation-altered solubility.

• Sponsoring Organization: Organization of CANDU Industries, Toronto, ON (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 479453
• Report Number(s): CONF-950926--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AMORPHOUS STATE
CRYSTAL-PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
MICROSTRUCTURE
PHASE STUDIES
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS