skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Radiation damage in cubic-stabilized zirconia

Abstract

Cubic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) can be used for nuclear applications as an inert matrix for actinide immobilization or transmutation. Indeed, the large amount of native oxygen vacancies leads to a high radiation tolerance of this material owing to defect recombination occurring in the atomic displacements cascades induced by fast neutron irradiation or ion implantations, as showed by Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Amorphization cannot be obtained in YSZ either by nuclear-collision or electronic-excitation damage, just like in urania. A kind of polygonization structure with slightly disoriented crystalline domains is obtained in both cases. In the first steps of damage, specific isolated point defects (like F+-type color centers) and point-defect clusters are produced by nuclear collisions with charged particles or neutrons. Further increase of damage leads to dislocation-loop formation, then to collapse of the dislocation network into a polygonization structure. For swift heavy ion irradiations, a similar polygonization structure is obtained above a threshold stopping power value of about 20-30 keV nm-1.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. CEA, Saclay, France
  2. Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France
  3. ORNL
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1089773
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Nuclear Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 440; Journal Issue: 1-3; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
zirconia; radiation effects; color centers

Citation Formats

Costantini, Jean-Marc, Beuneu, Francois, and Weber, William J. Radiation damage in cubic-stabilized zirconia. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.02.041.
Costantini, Jean-Marc, Beuneu, Francois, & Weber, William J. Radiation damage in cubic-stabilized zirconia. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.02.041
Costantini, Jean-Marc, Beuneu, Francois, and Weber, William J. 2013. "Radiation damage in cubic-stabilized zirconia". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.02.041.
@article{osti_1089773,
title = {Radiation damage in cubic-stabilized zirconia},
author = {Costantini, Jean-Marc and Beuneu, Francois and Weber, William J},
abstractNote = {Cubic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) can be used for nuclear applications as an inert matrix for actinide immobilization or transmutation. Indeed, the large amount of native oxygen vacancies leads to a high radiation tolerance of this material owing to defect recombination occurring in the atomic displacements cascades induced by fast neutron irradiation or ion implantations, as showed by Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Amorphization cannot be obtained in YSZ either by nuclear-collision or electronic-excitation damage, just like in urania. A kind of polygonization structure with slightly disoriented crystalline domains is obtained in both cases. In the first steps of damage, specific isolated point defects (like F+-type color centers) and point-defect clusters are produced by nuclear collisions with charged particles or neutrons. Further increase of damage leads to dislocation-loop formation, then to collapse of the dislocation network into a polygonization structure. For swift heavy ion irradiations, a similar polygonization structure is obtained above a threshold stopping power value of about 20-30 keV nm-1.},
doi = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.02.041},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1089773}, journal = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},
issn = {0022-3115},
number = 1-3,
volume = 440,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}