About this Abstract |
Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
Symposium
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Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Alloys IV
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Presentation Title |
Grain Boundary Susceptibility and Oxidation Behavior of Nuclear Structural Alloys in High-Temperature Aqueous Environments |
Author(s) |
Semanti Mukhopadhyay, Pauline Simonnin, Ankit Roy, Tingkun Liu, Francelia E. Sanchez, Karen Kruska, Dallin J. Barton, Ziqing Zhai, Ferdinan C. Colon, Mychailo B. Toloczko, Daniel K. Schreiber, Arun Devaraj |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Semanti Mukhopadhyay |
Abstract Scope |
Among the various types of nuclear reactors operating worldwide, pressurized water reactors (PWRs) comprise two-thirds of the global nuclear reactor fleet. PWRs operate with pressurized water exceeding 300°C in the primary circuit while generating steam in a secondary loop. These high-temperature, high-pressure aqueous environments create aggressive conditions that accelerate materials degradation. Material degradation in these environments occurs primarily through intergranular stress corrosion cracking driven by selective oxidation along grain boundaries (GBs), although the atomic scale micro-mechanisms remain unclear.
Present work investigates the mechanisms controlling GB oxidation in deformed and undeformed Fe-Cr-Ni and Ni-Cr systems. Advanced characterization involving Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography, supported by molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that GB oxidation depends strongly on atomic-scale structure, prior deformation, and local composition. Finally, we reveal how deformation alters GB structure, consequently influencing diffusion-induced grain boundary migration and elemental partitioning critical for GB oxidation. |
Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Characterization, Environmental Effects |