NSUF 20-4147: In Situ and Ex Situ Investigations of Irradiation Damage in Nanostructured ODS High-Entropy Alloys

The objective of this RTE project is to use the in situ and ex situ dual ion irradiation experiments at Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory to investigate the irradiation damage in nanostructured oxide-dispersion-strengthened high-entropy alloys (ODS-HEAs) at elevated temperatures. HEAs have superior mechanical properties, thermal stability, corrosion resistance, and radiation tolerance, rendering them promising structural materials for fast reactor applications. However, a significant limitation for the high-temperature applications of HEAs is the tensile strength reduction and thermal creep at above 500 ºC. To address this challenge, the PI’s lab has developed novel ODS-HEAs that exhibit a homogenous dispersion of nanometer-size oxide particles in the HEA matrix, which can retard the dislocation and reduce grain coarsening, thus increasing the high-temperature strength and creep resistance of HEAs. This proposal will address two scientific questions: (1) how the nanoscale particle/matrix interfaces affect the defect annihilation and helium trapping behavior; and (2) how stable are the fine microstructures in ODS-HEAs in high-temperature irradiation environments? This proposal will use experimental approaches that involve in situ and ex situ dual ion irradiation and electron microscopy characterizations to examine the fundamental mechanisms and thus evaluate the feasibility of ODS-HEAs as the potential structural materials for fast reactors.

Additional Info

Field	Value
Awarded Institution	University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Embargo End Date	2022-04-14
Facility Tech Lead	Kevin Field
NSUF Call	FY 2020 RTE 2nd Call
PI	Bai Cui
PIE Facilities	Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory
Project Member	Professor Bai Cui, Professor - University of Nebraska-Lincoln (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0585-6698)
Project Notes	Awarded on 07/14/2020
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	4147