| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T22: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Integration between Modeling and Experiments for Crystalline Metals: From Atomistic to Macroscopic Scales IV
|
| Presentation Title |
A Blessing in Disguise: Irradiation Damage Helps Slow Down Alloy Corrosion Rate via Oxide Space Charge Compensation Effects |
| Author(s) |
Adrien Couet, Zefeng Yu, Elizabeth Kautz, Hongliang Zhang, Anton Schneider, Taeho Kim, Yongfeng Zhang, Sten Lambeets, Arun Devaraj |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Adrien Couet |
| Abstract Scope |
Radiation effects in materials often compound and accelerate other detrimental phenomena such as embrittlement, oxidation and creep. However, irradiation can also decrease the oxidation rate, for instance with ZrNb alloys nuclear fuel cladding. In this study, we rationalize this observation by introducing a mechanism based on oxide space charge modification, resulting from irradiation enhanced Nb clustering. This mechanism is evidenced by a multiscale approach from macroscale, to determine post-irradiation oxidation kinetics, to atomic scale using in-situ atom probe tomography sample oxidation, to observe elemental solute redistribution across the oxide/metal interface. The mechanism is further supported by high resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization and density functional theory calculations. A point defect model is proposed to account for oxide space charge effects and their changes under irradiation. This integrated, multiscale experimental and modeling approach challenges the current paradigm on irradiation effects and how they can potentially improve materials performance in extreme environments. |