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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Fullerene-like defects in high-temperature neutron-irradiated nuclear graphite

Irradiation-induced defect evolution in graphite is particularly important for its application in graphite-moderated nuclear reactors. The evolution of defects directly influences macroscopically observed property changes in irradiated nuclear graphite which, in turn, can govern the lifetime of graphite components. This article reports novel defect structures and the irradiation response of microstructural features occurring in high-temperature irradiated nuclear graphite IG-110. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was used to characterize specimens neutron-irradiated at a high temperature (≥ 800°C) at doses of 1.73 and 3.56 atomic displacements per atom (dpa). Concentric shelled and fullerene-like defects were found to result in swelling along the c-axis and contraction along the a/b-axis of crystallites. Furthermore, such defects are shown to occur within, and partially fill, Mrozowski cracks prior to turnaround dose. In addition, in situ TEM under similar irradiation conditions was used to capture the real-time dynamic evolution of defects, providing unambiguous analysis of the evolution of the graphite structures during irradiation. Here, the results suggest the mainstream theory for radiation damage in nuclear graphite (which assumes additional basal plane formation as the sole reason) to be an incorrect interpretation of defect evolution contributing to irradiation-induced property changes at higher temperatures.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Enhanced backscatter and unsaturated blue wavelength shifts in F-doped fused silica optical fibers exposed to extreme neutron radiation damage

Amorphous fused silica (a-SiO 2 ) optical fibers, with and without inscribed Bragg gratings, were interrogated using infrared (~1550 nm) optical backscatter reflectometry during ~25 days of intense neutron irradiation to a fast (energy > 0.1 MeV) neutron fluence of ~10 21 n/cm 2 , or ~1.5 atomic displacements per atom. The reflected light amplitudes in Ge-doped core telecommunications fiber dropped below detection limits (>15 dB attenuation) within 3 days of irradiation (~10 20 fast n/cm 2 ). Here, amplitudes from a pure silica core, F-doped silica cladding fiber reached equilibrium levels ~1.5–2 dB higher than pre-irradiation values, whereas Bragg gratings inscribed in the same fiber using a femtosecond laser (point-by-point method) suffered > 45 dB attenuation. Blue wavelength shifts were initially consistent with previous radiation-induced compaction models but increased linearly with increasing neutron fluence (no evidence of saturation) beyond 10 20 n/cm 2 and exceeded 0.6%, which corresponds to >1,000 °C drift if used to measure temperature changes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Monte Carlo simulation analysis for radiation damage on Glidcop Al-15 caused by 17-20 MeV/u heavy ions

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) SRF linear heavy-ion accelerator is designed to accelerate all ions up to uranium to a maximum beam power of 400 kW. Several beam intercepting devices (BIDs) are essential to the successful operation of the accelerator, including a low power charge selector (LPCS) made of copper containing 0.15% precipitated aluminum oxide by weight called Glidcop Al-15. As FRIB ramps up the primary beam power beyond the current 20 kW level, the charge selector must withstand higher radiation damage rates, typically measured in displacements per atom (dpa). Significant beam induced radiation damage including significant deformation, like swelling, blistering, and cracking has been observed on a recently removed LPCS. We also observed physical features up to about 5.5 mm wide and appear to be deeper than the projected range of any ions. This paper presents the results of Monte Carlo simulations carried out using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS), quantifying the total damage dose and ion concentration, etc. Simulating an accurate irradiation history is essential to determining the scope of post irradiation examination (PIE) work.

Fletcher, Ethan [Michigan State U.]↗
DOE OSTI2020

Radiation Damage Studies on Titanium Alloys as High Intensity Proton Accelerator Beam Window Materials

A high-strength dual a+ß phase titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V is utilized as a material for beam windows in several accelerator target facilities. However, relatively little is known about how material properties of this alloy are affected by high-intensity proton beam irradiation. With plans to upgrade neutrino facilities at J-PARC and Fermilab to over 1 MW beam power, the radiation damage in the window material will reach a few displacements per atom (dpa) per year, significantly above the ~0.3 dpa level of existing data. The international RaDIATE collaboration, Radiation Damage In Accelerator Target Environments, has conducted a high intensity proton beam irradiation of various target and window material specimens at Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BLIP) facility, including a variety of titanium alloys. Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE) of the specimens in the 1st capsule, irradiated at up to 0.25 dpa, is in progress. Tensile tests in a hot cell at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) exhibited a clear signature of radiation hardening and loss of ductility for Ti–6Al–4V, while Ti–3Al–2.5V, with less ß phase, exhibited less severe hardening. Microstructural investigations will follow to study the cause of the difference in tensile behavior between these alloys. High-cycle fatigue (HCF) performance is critical to the lifetime estimation of beam windows exposed to a periodic thermal stress from a pulsed proton beam. The first HCF data on irradiated titanium alloys are to be obtained by a conventional bend fatigue test at Fermilab and by an ultrasonic mesoscale fatigue test at Culham Laboratory. Specimens in the 2nd capsule, irradiated at up to ~1 dpa, cover typical titanium alloy grades, including possible radiation-resistant candidates. These systematic studies on the effects of radiation damage of titanium alloy materials are intended to enable us not only to predict realistic lifetimes of current beam windows made of Ti–6Al–4V, but also to extend the lifetime by choosing a more radiation and thermal shock tolerant alloy with a preferable heat treatment, or even by developing new materials.

Titanium Alloy, Beam Window, Proton Beam, Radiatio↗
DOE OSTI2021

Defect annihilation in heavy ion irradiated polycrystalline gold

In this study, we explore the interaction of electron wind force (EWF) with defects originating from ion irradiation in-situ inside a transmission electron microscope. Nanocrystalline gold specimens were self-ion irradiated to a dose of 5 × 10 15 ions/cm 2 (45 displacement per atom) to generate a high density of displacement damage. We also developed a molecular dynamics simulation model to understand the associated atomic scale mechanisms. Both experiments and simulations show that the EWF can impart significant defect mobility even at low temperatures, resulting in the migration and elimination of defects in a few minutes. Overall, we propose that the EWF interacts with defects to create highly glissile Shockley partial dislocations, which makes the fast and low temperature defect annihilation possible.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluation of the GaAs displacement damage metric using updated nuclear data

The emerging use of the physics-based athermal recombination-corrected displacement per atom (arc-dpa) model for the displacement damage efficiency has motivated a re-evaluation of the historical empirically-derived GaAs damage response function with the purpose of highlighting needs for future analytical and experimental work. The 1-MeV neutron damage equivalence methodology used in the ASTM E-722 standard for GaAs has been re-evaluated using updated nuclear data. This yielded a higher fidelity representation of the GaAs displacement kerma and, through the use of the refined PKA recoil energy-dependent damage efficiency model, an updated 1-MeV(GaAs) displacement damage function. This re-evaluation included use of the Norgett-Robinson-Torrens (NRT) model for an updated threshold treatment, rather than the sharp-threshold Kinchin-Pease model used in the current ASTM standard. The underlying nuclear data evaluations have been updated to use the ENDF/VIII.0 {sup 75}As and TENDL-2019 {sup 71}Ga/{sup 69}Ga evaluations. The displacement kerma and 1-MeV-equivalent damage responses were calculated using a modified NJOY-2016 code which allowed for refinements in some of the damage models. This paper shows that an updated displacement damage function, based upon the latest nuclear data, is consistent with the experimental data used to develop the current ASTM E-722 GaAs standard. Using a double ratio approach to compare the available experimental data with the calculated response, the average legacy double ratio was found to be 0.97 ± 0.05 and the average updated double ratio was found to be 0.94 ± 0.05. (authors)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Predicting displacement damage for ion irradiation: Origin of the overestimation of vacancy production in SRIM full-cascade calculations

Ion irradiation and implantation have wide applications that demand accurate determination of displacement damage profile and distribution of implanted ion concentration. The prediction of vacancies is especially important to determine displacements per atom (dpa), the standard parameter of primary radiation damage in materials. However, significant discrepancies exist in estimations of vacancies between full-cascade (F-C) and quick calculation (Q-C) options in the popular computer code SRIM. This study inspected the SRIM code and a relatively new code called Iradina, which uses a similar methodology, to develop an understanding of the origin of vacancy overestimation in the F-C options for SRIM and Iradina. Here, we found that the default values of thresholds (namely final energy in SRIM and replacement energy in Iradina) in displacement production calculations results in excessively large number of calculated vacancies and very few replacements. After conducting multiple calculations using SRIM, Iradina, and MARLOWE (all based on the binary collision approximation), a comparison of the results indicates that there is a shortcoming in the SRIM and Iradina F-C methodology for treating near-threshold collisions. This issue is responsible for the deficiency of replacements and excess of calculated vacancies in the SRIM and Iradina F-C results. Drawing on the principles of collision physics, we propose recommendations for modifying the source codes to address these issues.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Postirradiation Examination of HFIR-Irradiated Yttrium Hydrides

The US Department of Energy Microreactor Program is developing compact, high-temperature microreactors that require robust neutron moderators. Known for its high hydrogen retention and structural stability, YH x is a leading candidate for this purpose. As part of an ongoing evaluation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducted post-irradiation examinations on YH x specimens irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor under the legacy Transformational Challenge Reactor program, focusing on their structural integrity, hydrogen retention, and thermal properties. The post-irradiation examination campaign primarily examined specimens from two irradiation campaigns, covering a range of hydrogen-to-yttrium atomic ratios (H/Y), neutron damage levels (0.1–2 displacements per atom), and targeted irradiation temperature of 600°C. The investigations included electron microscopy, high-energy x-ray diffraction, laser flash analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and SiC thermometry analysis.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of ion irradiation effects on mineral analogues of concrete aggregates

Irradiation can cause prominent damage to reactor concrete aggregates leading to amorphization, strength and modulus decrease, radiation induced volume expansion (RIVE) and micro-cracking, which limits their long-term performance. Here, to develop an improved understanding of irradiation effects in concrete, three mineral analogues of concrete aggregates (limestone, marble and quartzite) were irradiated by 5.5 MeV He ions and 13 MeV Ni ions to surface doses of 0.011 displacements per atom (dpa) and 0.23 dpa, respectively, at room temperature. The two different ion species allow irradiation spectrum effects (ionizing and displacive) to be examined. Irradiation induced cracks were observed in He irradiated limestone and marble, and Ni irradiated quartzite. Full amorphization was observed in Ni irradiated quartzite with 14.3 % RIVE, and ∼25 % hardness and modulus decrease, while almost no change was observed in He irradiated quartzite except 4.35 % RIVE, revealing a possible ionization enhanced diffusion effect for high energy light ions. Furthermore, partial amorphization was observed in Ni irradiated marble and limestone matrix with a 12 % hardness decrease in marble while no amorphization was observed for He irradiation with a 20 % hardness increase in limestone matrix. The role of knock-on damage and irradiation spectrum on amorphization, volumetric expansion and mechanical property changes are discussed. Moreover, the onset and critical doses for amorphization and RIVE in quartz are obtained for ion irradiations at room temperature. The dose dependence of RIVE exhibits a delay compared to the amorphization behavior. The superior irradiation resistance of calcite phase compared to quartz phase implies there could be advantages to using calcareous aggregates and lowering the usage of siliceous aggregates for concrete in nuclear power plants for extended operation beyond 60 years. However, other effects such as corrosion, aging and reactions during severe accidents should also be considered, and further investigations are needed.

Amorphous↗
DOE OSTI2023

Nanocluster Evolution in D9 Austenitic Steel under Neutron and Proton Irradiation

Austenitic stainless steel D9 is a candidate for Generation IV nuclear reactor structural materials due to its enhanced irradiation tolerance and high-temperature creep strength compared to conventional 300-series stainless steels. But, like other austenitic steels, D9 is susceptible to irradiation-induced clustering of Ni and Si, the mechanism for which is not well understood. This study utilizes atom probe tomography (APT) to characterize the chemistry and morphology of Ni–Si nanoclusters in D9 following neutron or proton irradiation to doses ranging from 5–9 displacements per atom (dpa) and temperatures ranging from 430–683 °C. Nanoclusters form only after neutron irradiation and exhibit classical coarsening with increasing dose and temperature. The nanoclusters have Ni 3 Si stoichiometry in a Ni core–Si shell structure. This core–shell structure provides insight into a potentially unique nucleation and growth mechanism—nanocluster cores may nucleate through local, spinodal-like compositional fluctuations in Ni, with subsequent growth driven by rapid Si diffusion. This study underscores how APT can shed light on an unusual irradiation-induced nanocluster nucleation mechanism active in the ubiquitous class of austenitic stainless steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Revealing the chemical environment of Cr, Fe, and Ni in high temperature-ultrafine precipitate strengthened steel subjected to low fluence neutron irradiation

High-temperature ultrafine-precipitate-strengthened (HT-UPS) steel has potential applications in advanced nuclear reactors as a structural material. However, little is currently known about its response to neutron irradiation. This research provides insight into the neutron irradiation-induced physicochemical changes of the major constituents in HT-UPS steels, including Fe, Cr, and Ni, using synchrotron X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and diffraction. This study is the first known investigation using XANES to characterize HT-UPS steel to analyze the evolution of the atomic level chemistry. It was found that following irradiation, nucleation, ballistic dispersion, and/or coarsening of Cr 23 C 6 precipitates occurred at very low neutron irradiation fluences, from 0.003 displacements per atom (dpa) up to 0.3 dpa, at ~600°C, which were at least an order of magnitude lower than previous studies. Calculations of the angular momentum projections, partial density of states, and the XANES spectra confirmed the experimental findings of the Cr 23 C 6 precipitate evolution. In contrast, the local atomic structure around Fe and Ni atoms demonstrated irradiation resistance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dependence of simulated radiation damage on crystal structure and atomic misfit in metals

This study investigates the evolution of radiation damage in three metals in the low temperature and high radiant flux regime using molecular statics and a Frenkel pair accumulation method to simulate up to 2.0 displacements per atom. The metals considered include Fe, equiatomic CrCoNi, and a fictitious metal with similar bulk properties to the CrCoNi composed of a single atom type referred to as an A-atom. CrCoNi is found to sustain higher concentrations of dislocations than either the Fe or A-atom systems and more stacking faults than the A-atom system. The results suggest that the difference between the concentrations of vacancies and interstitials is substantially smaller for CrCoNi than the A-atom system, perhaps reflecting that the sink capture radius is smaller in CrCoNi due to the roughened potential energy landscape. A model that partitions the major contributions from defects to the stored energy is described, and serves to highlight a general need for higher fidelity approaches to point defect identification.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Microstructural changes of proton irradiated Hastelloy-N and in situ micropillar compression testing of one single grain at different local damage levels

Here, in situ micropillar compression was used to study the deformation of proton-irradiated Hastelloy-N at different damage levels. Multiple pillars were prepared from a single domain along the cross-section of 2.5 MeV proton-irradiated Hastelloy-N. Depending on the location of micropillars, the critical resolved shear stress was obtained as a function of local damage levels. Such an approach eliminates the variation of yield stress due to the difference in the Schmid factor. Microstructural characterization showed that irradiation hardening is contributed by complicated defect structures, including (a) dislocation loops with many in corduroy-like alignments, (2) dislocations pile up, and (3) Cottrell atmosphere. Silicon atoms are found to segregate at dislocation lines and loops and form complicated Cottrell cloud patterns. The critical resolved shear stress, $t_{crss}$, and hardening exponents were both extracted as a function of displacements per atom values up to 2.3. There was a 60% increase in $t_{crss}$ at the highest damage level.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Orientation-selected micro-pillar compression of additively manufactured 316L stainless steels: Comparison of as-manufactured, annealed, and proton-irradiated variants

In this work, irradiation response and deformation mechanisms of additively manufactured (AM) 316L stainless steel were studied by atomic scale characterization and micro-pillar compression. The AM 316L stainless steels were fabricated by direct energy deposition, a laser-based additive manufacturing process. Irradiation with 2 MeV protons at 360°C was performed to create ~1.8 displacements-per-atom (dpa) damage in AM 316L. Deformation behaviors of the as-manufactured, annealed, and proton-irradiated variants were studied, focusing on the effects of manufacturing-induced pores, residual stress, and irradiation-introduced defects (dislocation loops and voids). Micro-pillars were prepared from grains of pre-selected orientation, avoiding contributions of grain boundaries and allowing determination of resolved shear stress on {111} glide planes. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the pre- and post-deformation microstructure. It was found that in the as-manufactured alloy variant, moving dislocations were the major deformation carrier, with noticeable blocking by fabrication-induced pores, In the annealed variant, hardness was reduced, and deformation was also accomplished by dislocation gliding. In the proton-irradiated variant, significant twinning was observed. Comparing measured resolved shear stress and predicted critical stress for dislocation dissociation, we conclude that irradiation hardening became high enough to activate twinning. Therefore, the deformation mechanism changes from dislocation gliding to twinning. The study is important for both processing optimization and performance evaluation of AM alloys for reactor applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurements of displacement cross sections of metals for 120-GeV proton beam irradiation

The number of displacements per atom (dpa) is widely used as an indicator of irradiation damage of materials in proton accelerator facilities. Experiments have been carried out to validate the dpa of metallic materials for protons with energies below 3 GeV. However, measurements of the displacement cross-sections for high-energy protons above 3 GeV have not been carried out and the calculations have not been validated. To validate the displacement cross section of metals in high-energy region, electrical resistivity changes in wires of aluminum, copper and tungsten at 8 K were measured using protons with energies of 120-GeV. The results show that the Norgett-Robinson-Torrens dpa model of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Calculation Code overestimates the experimental data. On the other hand, the calculated results using the athermal recombination corrected dpa model were in agreement with the measured displacement cross sections. In the proton energy region above 1 GeV, the displacement cross section is almost constant, which is due to the fact that the damage energy of the material under 1 GeV proton irradiation is almost the same as under 120 GeV proton irradiation. Damage recovery of defects accumulated in the sample was also measured using isochronal annealing: At 80 K, approximately 60 % and 80 % of the damage remains for copper and tungsten, respectively. These results are the same as those obtained from other experiments on proton and neutron irradiation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

An atom probe tomography and inventory calculation examination of second phase precipitates in neutron irradiated single crystal tungsten

Tungsten is the prime candidate material for the plasma facing divertor system and first wall armor of future nuclear fusion reactors. However, the understanding of the microstructural and chemical evolution of pure tungsten under neutron irradiation is relatively unknown, in part due to a lack of experimental data on this topic. Here, single crystal tungsten has been irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory at a nominal temperature of 700–800 °C to damage levels of 0.1 and 1.8 displacements per atom (dpa). Inventory calculations of the neutron irradiation experiments have been used to track isotope generation and decay to inform atom probe tomography (APT) results in the determination of the transmutation-induced precipitate compositions. Furthermore, APT crystallography has been used to show the relationship between precipitates and matrix. The composition of the precipitates is shown to progress towards that of the σ-phase at the highest dose studied, with those precipitates lying along crystallographic planes similar to those of displacement-induced dislocations. This work also sets the framework for APT studies of materials that contain isotopic ratios far from those observed in the natural state.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Heavy-ion-induced displacement damage effects in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular anisotropy

Here, we evaluate the resilience of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy to displacement damage induced by heavy ion irradiation. MTJs were exposed to 3 MeV Ta 2+ ions at different levels of ion beam fluence spanning five orders of magnitude. The devices remained insensitive to beam fluences up to 10 11 ions/cm 2 , beyond which a gradual degradation in the device magnetoresistance, coercive magnetic field, and spin-transfer-torque switching voltage were observed, ending with a complete loss of magnetoresistance at very high levels of displacement damage (>0.035 displacements per atom). The loss of magnetoresistance is attributed to structural damage at the MgO interfaces, which allows electrons to scatter among the propagating modes within the tunnel barrier and reduces the net spin polarization. Ion-induced damage to the interface also reduces the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. This study clarifies the displacement damage thresholds that lead to significant irreversible changes in the characteristics of spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) and elucidates the physical mechanisms underlying the deterioration in device properties.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effects of Galactic Irradiation on Thermal and Electronic Transport in Tungsten

The impact of irradiation on the thermal and electronic properties of materials is a persistent puzzle, particularly defect formation at the atomic and nanoscales. This work examines the nanoscale effects of low-energy irradiation on tungsten (W), focusing on defect-induced modifications to thermal and electronic transport. Using the site-projected thermal conductivity (SPTC) method [A. Gautam et al. PSS-RRL, 2400306, 2024], bulk and twin-grain boundary W with vacancy defects based on the Norgett–Robinson–Torrens displacements per atom model is analyzed. SPTC provides a detailed prediction of postcascade spatial thermal conductivity distribution. Electronic conductivity activity is estimated using the “N 2 method” [K. Nepal et al. Carbon, 119711, 2025] to explore the consequences of vacancies and grain boundaries, highlighting the defect-dependent nature of charge transport behavior. These findings offer high-resolution insights into irradiation-driven transport phenomena, with implications for space-exposed materials and nanoscale thermal/electronic management.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗