Title

Microstructural Characterization Of U-Nb-Zr, U-Mo-Nb, And U-Mo-Ti Alloys Via Electron Microscopy

Keywords

Experimental phase equilibria; Isothermal equilibration; Materials characterization; Metallic alloys; Phase equilibria; Ternary phase diagram; Transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

Ternary uranium molybdenum alloys are being examined for use as dispersion and monolithic nuclear fuels in research and test reactors. In this study, three such ternary alloys, with compositions U-10Nb-4Zr, U-8Mo-3Nb, and U-7Mo-3Ti in wt.%, were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with high angle annular dark field (HAADF) imaging via scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). These alloys were homogenized at 950 °C for 96 h and were expected to be single-phase bcc-γ-U. However, upon examination, it was determined that despite homogenization, each of the alloys contained a small volume fraction precipitate phase. Through SEM and XRD, it was confirmed that the matrix retained the bcc-γ-U phase. TEM specimens were prepared using site-specific focused ion beam (FIB) in situ lift out (INLO) technique to include at least one precipitate from each alloy. By electron diffraction, the precipitate phases for the U-10Nb-4Zr, U-8Mo-3Nb, and U-7Mo-3Ti alloys were identified as bcc-(Nb,Zr), bcc-(Mo,Nb), and bcc-(Mo,Ti) solid solutions, respectively. The composition and phase information collected in this study was then used to construct ternary isotherms for each of these alloys at 950 °C. © 2010 ASM International.

Publication Date

6-1-2010

Publication Title

Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion

Volume

31

Issue

3

Number of Pages

216-222

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11669-009-9645-4

Socpus ID

77957017314 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/77957017314

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