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At least 937 records · Page 52

A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Performance and Materials Chemistry of a Sililcone-Based Replicating Compound

The objective of this project was to characterize the performance and chemistry of a siliconebased replicating compound. Some silicone replicating compounds are useful for critical inspection of surface features. Common applications are for examining micro-cracks, surface pitting, scratching, and other surface defects. Materials characterization techniques were used: FTIR, XPS, ToF-SIMS, AFM, and Confocal Microscopy to evaluate the replicating compound. These techniques allowed for the characterization and verification of the resolution capabilities and surface contamination that may be a result of using the compound. FTIR showed the compound is entirely made from silicone constituents. The AFM and Confocal Microscopy results showed the compound does accurately replicate the surface features to the claimed resolution. XPS and ToF-SIMS showed there is a silicone contaminant layer left behind when a cured replica is peeled off a surface. Attempts to clean off the contamination could not completely remove all silicone residues.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Grain Handling and Transportation Policy in Canada: Implications for the United States

The grain handling and transportation system in Canada (GHTS) is currently going through a major transition, both with respect to handling and transportation. Historically, the system has pitted farmers against the railways with respect to securing individual fair shares of grain revenues. But with the removal of the single desk marketing and logistics function of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) in late 2012, a very interesting and potentially game-changing outcome is emerging with respect to the new functionality of the grain companies in the Canadian system. While historical awareness of rail s natural monopoly position in the grain handling system has kept that sector regulated (in several ways) for close to a century, we are now starting to see the effects of a less than competitive Canadian grain handling sector on revenue sharing, along with renewed movement in the industry with respect to buyouts and potential mergers. This overview will highlight some of the changes now occurring and how they are potentially going to interact or evolve as the system moves forward. For example, the on-going regulatory instrument used to regulate grain transportation rates in Canada (called the maximum revenue entitlement (MRE) or revenue cap) is under current debate because of the introduction a few months ago of a modification to an old regulatory instrument known as extended (or reciprocal) interswitching. As opposed to the revenue cap which is a direct intervention on monopoly behavior, extended interswitching is designed to encourage the major Canadian grain carriers to compete with one another and potentially seek out new traffic (Nolan and Skotheim, 2008). But the most intriguing aspect of extended interswitching is how it might allow a major rail carrier from the U.S. to solicit grain traffic in some areas of the Canadian grain transportation system.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Determination of Erosion/Corrosion Rates in Hanford Tank Farms Radioactive Waste Transfer System Pipelines

The twenty-eight double-shell underground radioactive waste storage tanks at the U. S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site near Richland, WA are interconnected by the Waste Transfer System network of buried steel encased pipelines and pipe jumpers in below-grade pits. The pipeline material is stainless steel or carbon steel in 51 mm to 152 mm (2 in. to 6 in.) sizes. The pipelines carry slurries ranging up to 20 volume percent solids and supernatants with less than one volume percent solids at velocities necessary to prevent settling. The pipelines, installed between 1976 and 2011, were originally intended to last until the 2028 completion of the double-shell tank storage mission. The mission has been subsequently extended. In 2010 the Tank Operating Contractor began a systematic evaluation of the Waste Transfer System pipeline conditions applying guidelines from API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 (2007), Fitness-For-Service. Between 2010 and 2014 Fitness-for-Service examinations of the Waste Transfer System pipeline materials, sizes, and components were completed. In parallel, waste throughput histories were prepared allowing side-by-side pipeline wall thinning rate comparisons between carbon and stainless steel, slurries and supernatants and throughput volumes. The work showed that for transfer volumes up to 6.1E+05 m 3 (161 million gallons), the highest throughput of any pipeline segment examined, there has been no detectable wall thinning in either stainless or carbon steel pipeline material regardless of waste fluid characteristics or throughput. The paper describes the field and laboratory evaluation methods used for the Fitness-for-Service examinations, the results of the examinations, and the data reduction methodologies used to support Hanford Waste Transfer System pipeline wall thinning conclusions.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Paddys Run Streambank Stabilization Project at the Fernald Preserve, Harrison, OH

The Fernald Preserve is a former uranium-processing plant that underwent extensive remediation pursuant to CERCLA and is now managed by the US DOE Office of Legacy Management. While remediation of buildings and soil contamination was completed in 2006, aquifer remediation is ongoing. Paddys Run is a second-order stream that runs to the south along the western side of the Fernald Preserve. The Paddys Run watershed encompasses nearly 41 km2 (16 mi2), including most of the Fernald site. Field personnel conducting routine site inspections in March 2014 observed that Paddys Run was migrating east via bank erosion into the “Pit 3 Swale,” an area of known surface-water contamination. The soil there was certified pursuant to site regulatory agreements and meets all final remediation levels. However, weekly surface-water monitoring is conducted from two puddles within the swale area, when water that exceeds the final remediation levels is present. Paddys Run had migrated east approximately 4 m (13 ft) in 2 years and was approximately 29 m (95 ft) from the sample location. This rapid migration threatened existing conditions that allowed for continued monitoring of the swale area and also threatened Paddys Run water quality. Therefore, DOE and regulators determined that the east bank of Paddys Run required stabilization. This was accomplished with a design that included the following components: relocation of approximately 145 m (475 ft) of streambed 9 m (30 ft) west, installation of a rock toe along the east bank, installation of two cross-vane in-stream grade-control structures, stabilization of a portion of the east bank using soil encapsulated lifts, and regrading, seeding, and planting within remaining disturbed areas. In an effort to take advantage of low-flow conditions in Paddys Run, construction was initiated in September 2014. Weather delays and subsurface flow within the Paddys Run streambed resulted in an interim shutdown of the project area in December 2014. Construction activities resumed in April 2015, with completion in November 2015. To date, this stabilization project has been successful. The regraded bank and streambed have remained stable, and no compromise to installed cross-vanes, the rock toe, or the soil encapsulated lifts has been observed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Long-Term Stewardship at a Former Uranium Mill Tailings Site in Riverton, Wyoming WM2017-17090

The US Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (LM) is responsible for maintaining protective public health and environmental conditions at former uranium mill tailings sites nationwide via long-term stewardship. One of these sites, a former uranium mill near Riverton, Wyoming, is within the boundary of the Wind River Indian Reservation and operated from 1958 to 1963. Tailings and contaminated material associated with mill operations were removed and transported to an offsite disposal cell in 1989. The remedial action was completed under Title I of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978. Milling operations, which included an unlined tailings impoundment and an unlined evaporation pond, contaminated the shallow groundwater, resulting in a downgradient groundwater plume that discharges to the Little Wind River. A natural flushing compliance strategy was implemented in 1998. This strategy allows contaminants of concern to naturally flush from the groundwater, provided that contaminants flush below US Environmental Protection Agency maximum concentration limits within 100 years. As part of the compliance strategy, LM has implemented a groundwater monitoring program along with institutional controls that include the installation of an alternate water supply, continued sampling of private wells, and restrictions on well drilling and gravel pit construction. LM works closely with local stakeholders and community members to ensure that these institutional controls are in place and maintained. The Riverton site provides an interesting case study where contaminant remobilization due to river flooding prompted a reevaluation of the conceptual site model to verify if the current compliance strategy would remain protective of human health and the environment. Concentrations of groundwater contaminants, which include sulfate, molybdenum, and uranium, were transiently elevated following flooding of the Little Wind River in 2010 and 2016. These flood events provided the impetus to investigate other aspects of the hydrologic system, including the unsaturated zone, naturally reduced (sulfidic) zones, and evaporite deposits. New site conceptual models, field and laboratory studies, and numerical models are being developed to explain how biogeochemical sediment–water interactions contribute to plume persistence and flood-related increases in groundwater concentrations. Updated human health and ecological risk assessments are progressing to evaluate the risk to human health and the environment based on current site conditions. Groundwater concentrations may remain above US Environmental Protection Agency maximum concentration limits beyond the 100-year natural flushing regulatory time frame. LM in its capacity as a long-term steward continues to monitor the site to ensure protectiveness is maintained and to determine the feasibility of alternative compliance and remediation strategies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Technical Requirements for Geothermal Resource Confirmation

In 2017-2018, the Bureau of Land Management's Renewable Energy Coordination Office, through its Geothermal Program, funded the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to analyze technical and environmental considerations related to geothermal resource confirmation drilling. NREL solicited input from a group of technical and environmental experts in the geothermal industry, along with analyzing National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) documentation for previously approved projects. The collected data and analysis will be used by the Bureau of Land Management to examine the possibility of developing a new classification of wells and/or expediting the NEPA compliance process, which could potentially reduce permitting and regulatory compliance timelines when compared to the current process for obtaining a geothermal drilling permit for resource confirmation drilling activities. This paper provides a summary of the technical requirements for confirming a geothermal resource. The analysis showed that confirming a geothermal resource requires confirming reservoir temperature, chemistry, permeability, and flow rate. Obtaining these data requires drilling at least two-preferably three-successful wells into the resource to conduct the necessary tests, including an interference test. Bottom-hole well diameters of at least 6'' to 8'' (0.15 to 0.2 m) are needed to limit the wellbore frictional pressure drop to effectively perform well flow and interference tests. Drilling these wells requires a drill rig with a mud pump and derrick capable of holding three drill pipes. This type of rig requires a minimum well-pad size of 2.5 acres (104 m2) including surface area for a 1 million-gallon (3.8 million-liter) pit. Up to 15 acres (5x104 m2) of total surface disturbance are needed for developing access roads and well pads to drill a total of three to five wells.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Downhole Sensors in Drilling Operations

Before downhole and surface equipment became mainstream, drillers had little way of knowing where they were or the conditions of the well. Eventually, breakthroughs in technology such as Measurement While Drilling (MWD) devices and the Electronic Drilling Recorder system allowed for more accurate and increased data collection. More modern initiatives that approach drilling as manufacturing such as Lean Drilling, Drilling the Limit, and revitalized Drilling the Limit programs have allowed petroleum drilling operations to become more efficient in the design and creation of a well, increasing rates of penetration by more than 50%. Unfortunately, temperature and cost limitations of these tools have prevented geothermal operations from using this state-of-the-art equipment in most wells. Today, petroleum drilling operations can collect surface measurements on key drilling data such as rotary torque, hook load (for surface weight on bit), rotary speed, block height (for rate of penetration), mud pressure, pit volume, and pump strokes (for flowrates). They also can collect downhole measurements of azimuth, inclination, temperature, pressure, revolutions per minute, downhole torque on bit, downhole weight on bit, downhole vibration, and bending moment using an MWD device (although not necessarily in real time). These data can be used to calculate and minimize mechanical specific energy, which is the energy input required to remove a unit volume of rock. In geothermal operations, these data are not always used due to poor accuracy or lack of equipment. This is one of the major hurdles for geothermal well construction and a reason why geothermal drilling operations take much longer than their petroleum counterparts. This paper reviews the surface and downhole data collection equipment used in the petroleum industry and its associated costs, capabilities, limitations, and impacts. The impact these downhole tools and measurements have had on increasing drilling efficiency for the petroleum industry suggests that developing these tools for high-temperature, high-pressure environments could be similarly impactful for the geothermal industry.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Postirradiation Examination of the ATF-1 Experiments - 2019 Status

A collaborative effort of the Advanced Fuels Campaign together with industry consortia is focused on the development of enhanced accident tolerant fuels for Light Water Reactors (LWRs). The scoping studies, referred to as ATF-1 irradiations, are being performed in the Advanced Test Reactor of Idaho National Laboratory using drop-in style irradiations. The Post-Irradiation Examinations (PIEs) of ATF-1 began in 2017 and continued in 2019. This report describes the results of examinations on ATF-1 irradiations designed to test the performance of advanced iron-based cladding, including compatibility of FeCrAl with UO2, and ATF-1 irradiation of U3Si5. Two rodlets with commercial iron-based cladding and UO2 pellets have been irradiated to low burnup (i.e., < 20 GWd/tHM). The first rodlet had an Alloy33 cladding, while the other had a Kanthal APMT® cladding. The performed PIEs were focused on the determination of fuel microstructure, evaluation of fuel-cladding interaction and irradiation-induced variations of cladding mechanical properties. For both rodlets, no significant changes in the cladding hardness were measured, and the cladding hoop strain remained limited. Gamma tomography revealed no Cs axial migration as expected for LWR fuel, but significant cesium radial migration, which was induced by thermal migration consequent to high irradiation temperatures. Microstructure analyses revealed formation of secondary phases along the pellet rim of samples from both rodlets. No wastage or extensive chemical interaction between the fuel and the internal wall of the cladding was observed, suggesting that the secondary phases accumulated at the pellet rim might be due to formation of Cs-U-O compounds. However, further advanced PIEs are necessary to finally confirm this hypothesis. Optical microscopy analysis of the rodlet designed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory to evaluate the interaction between UO2 and various FeCrAl alloys revealed no extensive interaction in all the samples irradiated in the rodlet. Localized defects, namely circular pitting and cracks of a few tents of microns, were observed on the FeCrAl disc surfaces in some of the diffusion couples. These defects might be surface fabrication defects rather than irradiation-induced localized corrosion, but chemical analyses are needed to determine whether accumulation of corrosive fission products are causing enhanced interaction. Both non-destructive and destructive PIEs were collected on a rodlet containing U3Si5 fuel. The rodlet had extremely low fission gas release, similar to previously analyzed U3Si2 rodlets. Gamma tomography revealed thermo-migration of fission product ruthenium toward the center of the fuel pellet. The fuel microstructure resembles the as-fabricated microstructure, showing extensive microcracking related to the phase transition at 450°C. Two types of secondary phases were observed, which could either be due to segregation and precipitation of fission products or to UN impurities from fabrication. Finally, the current status of PIE on other ATF-1 irradiations will be discussed. These irradiations include UN-U3Si5 rodlets, UN-U3Si2 rodlets and an additional test with U3Si2 fuel.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Hollow fiber mid-ID spectrometer with UV laser ablation sampling for fine spatial reoslution of isotope ratios in solids

We describe a system that combines isotope ratio analysis via mid-infrared (Mid-IR) laser absorption spectroscopy with fine spatial resolution sampling using a UV pulsed laser. The UV laser ablates a pit in a solid on the order of 10 microns in diameter. The sample-derived particulates resulting from laser ablation pass through a micro-combustor, and the resulting gas is analyzed using Mid-IR laser absorption spectroscopy in a capillary absorption spectrometer (CAS). The CAS uses a hollow fiber optic waveguide with a reflective inner coating and a small internal volume on the order of 1ml. The hollow fiber both guides the laser light from source to detector and contains the gas sample at reduced pressure. Near unity overlap between the laser beam and sample enables sensitive analysis with ultra-small sample size. A prototype system has been demonstrated to enable stable carbon isotopic analysis (d13C) with 1 per mil precision using <1 picomole of carbon and is currently being used to study nutrient exchange in soil/root/microbial rhizosphere studies. The smaller sample size of this system is enabling fine spatial resolution analysis (on the order of 10 microns), which is roughly an order of magnitude smaller than was possible with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). In addition to rhizosphere studies, the system can provide a useful tool for fine scale isotope analysis with applications in biological, forensic, and environmental science.

capillary absorption spectroscopy, laser ablation,↗

RF Performance of Ingot Niobium Cavities of Medium-Low Purity

Superconducting radio-frequency cavities made of ingot niobium with residual resistivity ratio (RRR) greater than 250 have proven to have similar or better performance than fine-grain Nb cavities of the same purity, after standard processing. The high purity requirement contributes to the high cost of the material. As superconducting accelerators operating in continuous-wave typically require cavities to operate at moderate accelerating gradients, using lower purity material could be advantageous not only to reduce cost but also to achieve higher Q0-values, because of the well-known dependence of the BCS-surface resistance on mean free path. In this contribution we present the results from cryogenic RF tests of 1.3-1.5 GHz single-cell cavities made of ingot Nb of medium (RRR=100-150) and low (RRR=60) purity from different suppliers. Cavities made of medium-purity ingots routinely achieved peak surface magnetic field values greater than 70 mT with Q0-values above 1.5·1010 at 2 K. The performance of cavities made of low-purity ingots were affected by significant pitting of the surface after chemical etching.

Ciovati, Gianluigi↗

Quantifying High Temperature Corrosion

Alloys designed for high temperature service can form a variety of surface oxides or scales based on the alloy composition, service temperature, gas environment, surface deposits, etc. The most severe environments, including molten salts and liquid metals can result in significant metal loss, void formation and/or pitting. Standard and evolving practices are discussed for measuring these types of degradationincluding measuring oxide scale thickness, internal oxidation and/or metal loss, correlating them to mass change and reporting the results. Manual and automated methodologies to measure oxide thickness and metal loss are reviewed and compared in order to provide a summary of techniques and identify the best practices for quantifying a variety of materials and damage mechanisms and producing statistically meaningful results. Such techniques create datasets useful for improved understanding of corrosion degradation mechanisms, potentially better predictive models and enhanced data analytics.

Su, Yi Feng↗

Application of Machine Learning to Predict the Response of the Liquid Mercury Target at the Spallation Neutron Source

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is currently the most powerful accelerator-driven neutron source in the world. The intense proton pulses strike on SNS’s mercury target to provide bright neutron beams, which also leads to severe fluid-structure interactions inside the target. Prediction of resultant loading on the target is difficult particularly when helium gas is intentionally injected into mercury to reduce the loading and mitigate the pitting damage on the target’s internal walls. Leveraging the power of machine learning and the measured target strain, we have developed machine learning surrogates for modeling the discrepancy between simulations and experimental strain data. We then employ these surrogates to guide the refinement of the high-fidelity mercury/helium mixture model to predict a better match of target strain response.

Lin, Lianshan↗

Results of ISO/TS 6336-22 Evaluating Full Contact Zone

ISO/TS 6336-22 (Calculation of load capacity of spur and helical gears - Part 22: Calculation of micropitting load capacity) is the ISO technical specification containing a proposal for calculations of the risk of micropitting in gear sets. Micropitting is a Hertzian fatigue phenomenon that appears as ultra-fine cracking and pitting on the flanks of gear teeth. Since progressive micropitting can lead to macropitting and flank damage, critical applications such as wind turbines, marine drives, and high-speed gear drives seek to accurately predict whether their designs are susceptible to this damage. ISO/TS 6336-22 assesses micropitting risk through a safety factor which is calculated as the minimum specific film thickness in the contact zone divided by a permissible specific film thickness. In the previous paper, the calculations were performed using the simplified method (Method B) that evaluates points on the path of contact. This was done for three gear sets that experienced micropitting in operation. The minimum specific film thickness for the two field cases was very high, which indicates that the gears were operating in the full elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) regime. A more accurate calculation for these cases (Method A) calculates the specific film thickness across the entire contact zone. This paper applies this Method to the case study from the previous paper. The results are compared to micropitting observed in operation. Results are also compared to the results of the previous paper. Conclusions are made regarding the accuracy of both Methods compared to the field cases and relative to each other.

ENGINEERING,WIND ENERGY↗

Results of ISO/TS 6336-22 Evaluating Full Contact Zone: Preprint

ISO/TS 6336-22 (Calculation of load capacity of spur and helical gears — Part 22: Calculation of micropitting load capacity) is the ISO technical specification containing a proposal for calculations of the risk of micropitting in gear sets. Micropitting is a Hertzian fatigue phenomenon that appears as ultra-fine cracking and pitting on the flanks of gear teeth. Since progressive micropitting can lead to macropitting and flank damage, critical applications such as wind turbines, marine drives, and high-speed gear drives seek to accurately predict whether their designs are susceptible to this damage. ISO/TS 6336-22 assesses micropitting risk through a safety factor which is calculated as the minimum specific film thickness in the contact zone divided by a permissible specific film thickness. In the previous paper, the calculations were performed using the simplified method (Method B) that evaluates points on the path of contact. This was done for three gear sets that experienced micropitting in operation. The minimum specific film thickness for the two field cases was very high, which indicates that the gears were operating in the full elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) regime. A more accurate calculation for these cases (Method A) calculates the specific film thickness across the entire contact zone. This paper applies this Method to the case study from the previous paper. The results are compared to micropitting observed in operation. Results are also compared to the results of the previous paper. Conclusions are made regarding the accuracy of both Methods compared to the field cases and relative to each other.

gearbox↗

Friction Stir Processed Repair Welding of Dry Storage Canisters and Mitigation Strategies: Effect of Engineered Barrier Layer on Environmental Degradation

The proposed project aims to develop a friction sir based repair technique to heal cracks of stainless steel dry storage canisters (DSCs), created by the effect of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). In real service conditions, the welded parts of the canisters become prone to SCC under exposure to aggressive chemical environment. The focus of the project is on developing a mitigation strategy that can be implemented for countering SCC in DSCs following a two-pronged approach: (i) apply friction stir processing (FSP) as a crack repair technique while creating compressive residual stresses at the canister material surface, thus improving resistance against SCC; (ii) add molybdenum and/or nitrogen by friction stir based alloying process to create compositions that improve pitting resistance and thus enhance resistance against SCC. The specific project objectives are listed below: • Investigate FSW of 304L SS a potential repair welding technique of dry storage canisters; • Optimize the FSW parameters to introduce surface compressive stress profiles in the weldments; • Develop a FSP method to surface alloy the 304L with nitrogen and Mo by adding CrN and Mo powders; • Evaluate the surface compressive residual stress profile during FSW and FSP processes; • Evaluate the localized corrosion resistance of the FSW and FSP samples as a function of temperature, chloride concentration, and surface alloy composition; • Evaluate the SCC behavior of the FSW and FSP samples as a function of stress, chloride concentration, and temperature at different surface chemistries and induced residual stress profiles.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Results of ISO/TS 6336-22 Evaluating Full Contact Zone

ISO/TS 6336-22 (Calculation of load capacity of spur and helical gears - Part 22: Calculation of micropitting load capacity) is the ISO technical specification containing a proposal for calculations of the risk of micropitting in gear sets. Micropitting is a Hertzian fatigue phenomenon that appears as ultra-fine cracking and pitting on the flanks of gear teeth. Since progressive micropitting can lead to macropitting and flank damage, critical applications such as wind turbines, marine drives, and high-speed gear drives seek to accurately predict whether their designs are susceptible to this damage. ISO/TS 6336-22 assesses micropitting risk through a safety factor which is calculated as the minimum specific film thickness in the contact zone divided by a permissible specific film thickness. In the previous paper, the calculations were performed using the simplified method (Method B) that evaluates points on the path of contact. This was done for three gear sets that experienced micropitting in operation. The minimum specific film thickness for the two field cases was very high, which indicates that the gears were operating in the full elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) regime. A more accurate calculation for these cases (Method A) calculates the specific film thickness across the entire contact zone. This paper applies this Method to the case study from the previous paper. The results are compared to micropitting observed in operation. Results are also compared to the results of the previous paper. Conclusions are made regarding the accuracy of both Methods compared to the field cases and relative to each other.

gearbox↗

Characterization of the Aerosol Source Term in Dry Storage Canisters

As long-term dry storage of used nuclear fuel at independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSI) trends toward the de facto back end of the US fuel cycle, it becomes appropriate to investigate potential degradation and dispersion scenarios for suitable risk mitigation purposes. Pitting and subsequent stress corrosion cracking of the canister wall is currently viewed as a potential scenario leading to a through-wall pathway for contamination to be transferred from within the storage container to the surrounding environment. While stress corrosion cracking measurements are currently underway to further characterize this scenario, a parallel effort endeavors to perform a consequence analysis of conditions in which through wall cracks are indeed formed. This effort consists of engineering scale modeling using the GOTHIC and MELCOR software packages along with experimental depletion and penetration tests.

spent fuel storage, aerosol deposition, Stress Cor↗

Electropolishing Study on Nitrogen-doped Niobium Surface

The nitrogen doping (N-doping) process is applied to niobium (Nb) superconducting cavities to enhance their quality factors. The N-doping is followed by an electropolishing process that provides the final surface of the cavities. A controlled EP process is necessary to get the benefit of N-doping and achieve a high accelerating gradient. We have performed electropolishing of N-doped Nb surface under various conditions to understand their impact on the surface. A modified EP process was developed to obtain a smooth pit-free surface.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗