Three-dimensional microstructural characterization of bulk plutonium and uranium metals using focused ion beam technique
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Nuclear forensics requires accurate quantification of discriminating microstructural characteristics of the bulk nuclear material to identify its process history and provenance. Conventional metallographic preparation techniques for bulk plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U) metals are limited to providing information in two-dimension (2D) and do not allow for obtaining depth profile of the material. In this contribution, use of dual-beam focused ion-beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) to investigate the internal microstructure of bulk Pu and U metals is demonstrated. Our results demonstrate that the dual-beam methodology optimally elucidate microstructural features without preparation artifacts, and the three-dimensional (3D) characterization of inner microstructures can reveal salient microstructural features that cannot be observed from conventional metallographic techniques. As a result, examples are shown to demonstrate the benefit of FIB-SEM in improving microstructural characterization of microscopic inclusions, particularly with respect to nuclear forensics.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- OSTI ID:
- 1324519
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1345244
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-679680
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 473, Issue C; ISSN 0022-3115
- Publisher:
- ElsevierCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
From Historical Backgrounds to Recent Advances in 3D Characterization of Materials: An Overview
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journal | December 2016 |
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