Radiation Effects On Interface Reactions Of U/Fe, U/(Fe + Cr), And U/(Fe + Cr + Ni)

Abstract

We study the effects of radiation damage on interdiffusion and intermetallic phase formation at the interfaces of U/Fe, U/(Fe + Cr), and U/(Fe + Cr + Ni) diffusion couples. Magnetron sputtering is used to deposit thin films of Fe, Fe + Cr, or Fe + Cr + Ni on U substrates to form the diffusion couples. One set of samples are thermally annealed under high vacuum at 450 °C or 550 °C for one hour. A second set of samples are annealed identically but with concurrent 3.5 MeV Fe++ ion irradiation. The Fe++ ion penetration depth is sufficient to reach the original interfaces. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry analysis with high fidelity spectral simulations is used to obtain interdiffusion profiles, which are used to examine differences in U diffusion and intermetallic phase formation at the buried interfaces. For all three diffusion systems, Fe++ ion irradiations enhance U diffusion. Furthermore, the irradiations accelerate the formation of intermetallic phases. In U/Fe couples, for example, the unirradiated samples show typical interdiffusion governed by Fick's laws, while the irradiated ones show step-like profiles influenced by Gibbs phase rules.

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Publication Title

Journal of Nuclear Materials

Volume

456

Number of Pages

302-310

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.09.046

Socpus ID

84908428382 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84908428382

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS