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Title: Helium bubble formation in ultrafine and nanocrystalline tungsten under different extreme conditions

Journal Article · · Journal of Nuclear Materials
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Purdue Univ., Birck Nanotechnology Center, and Center for Material Under Extreme Environment, West Lafayette, IN (United States)
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  3. Univ. of Huddersfield (United Kingdom)
  4. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States); Center for Materials Uncer Extreme Environment, West Lafayette, IN (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  5. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States); Center for Materials Uncer Extreme Environment, West Lafayette, IN (United States)

We investigated the effects of helium ion irradiation energy and sample temperature on the performance of grain boundaries as helium sinks in ultrafine grained and nanocrystalline tungsten. Irradiations were performed at displacement and non-displacement energies and at temperatures above and below that required for vacancy migration. Microstructural investigations were performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) combined with either in-situ or ex-situ ion irradiation. Under helium irradiation at an energy which does not cause atomic displacements in tungsten (70 eV), regardless of temperature and thus vacancy migration conditions, bubbles were uniformly distributed with no preferential bubble formation on grain boundaries. Moreover, at energies that can cause displacements, bubbles were observed to be preferentially formed on the grain boundaries only at high temperatures where vacancy migration occurs. Under these conditions, the decoration of grain boundaries with large facetted bubbles occurred on nanocrystalline grains with dimensions less than 60 nm. Finally, we discuss the importance of vacancy supply and the formation and migration of radiation-induced defects on the performance of grain boundaries as helium sinks and the resulting irradiation tolerance of ultrafine grained and nanocrystalline tungsten to bubble formation.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1183004
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1252348
Report Number(s):
SAND2014-15238J; 534153
Journal Information:
Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 458; ISSN 0022-3115
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 106 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (11)

A study of irradiation effects in TiO 2 using molecular dynamics simulation and complementary in situ transmission electron microscopy journal September 2018
Radiation-Induced Helium Bubbles in Metals journal March 2019
Outstanding radiation resistance of tungsten-based high-entropy alloys journal March 2019
An in situ study on Kr ion–irradiated crystalline Cu/amorphous-CuNb nanolaminates journal March 2019
Interplay Between Grain Boundaries and Radiation Damage journal March 2019
Direct Observation of Sink-Dependent Defect Evolution in Nanocrystalline Iron under Irradiation journal May 2017
He-ion induced surface morphology change and nanofuzz growth on hot tungsten surfaces journal December 2018
Softening due to Grain Boundary Cavity Formation and its Competition with Hardening in Helium Implanted Nanocrystalline Tungsten journal February 2018
Effect of He-appm/DPA ratio on the damage microstructure of tungsten journal January 2016
Probing nanoscale damage gradients in ion-irradiated metals using spherical nanoindentation journal September 2017
Enhanced Radiation Tolerance of Tungsten Nanoparticles to He Ion Irradiation journal December 2018