NSUF 18-1509: Radiation tolerance of nanostructured amorphous/crystalline SiOC/Fe(Cr) nanocomposites

The objective of this project is to evaluate amorphous/crystalline SiOC/Fe(Cr) nanocomposites under extreme conditions of radiation damage. The limited resistance of current engineering materials to radiation damage is a key factor restricting the design of next generation nuclear reactors. Introduced interfaces that serve as point-defect sinks to remove radiation damage and suppress swelling is one of strategies to improve radiation tolerance of structural materials. For example, nanoscale metallic interfaces, e.g. interfaces of face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic alloys, have displayed strong sink behavior. Unlike the radiation responses of crystalline solids, which have been studied for decades, the fundamental processes by which amorphous alloy/crystalline composites respond to irradiation have received relatively less attention and are therefore still largely unknown. Our preliminary results show that SiOC is simultaneously resistant to ion-induced displacement damage and degradation due to implanted helium (He), markedly elevating its potential for use in advanced nuclear reactors. Several properties of SiOC can be improved, including plasticity, thermal conductivity, etc. by introducing an Fe component. A prime hypothesis of this proposal is that the amorphous/crystalline composite interface, together with the composite constituents, will provide significantly enhanced radiation tolerance, similar to or superior to those observed in metallic nanolayered structures, in a more engineering relevant material system. To create crystal/amorphous interfaces, magnetron sputtering will be implemented to prepare SiOC/Fe and SiOC/Fe(Cr) multilayers. To test the above hypotheses, we will carry out 3.5 MeV Fe irradiation experiment on pure SiOC, SiOC/Fe and SiOC/Fe(Cr) composite films with damage level to 100, 200, 400 dpa and investigate irradiation effect via transmission electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, nanoindentation and micropillar compression test. The potential results will be used in the development of a new class of ceramic/metal composites that can be adapted for engineering applications in advanced nuclear reactors with improved materials performance.

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필드	값
Abstract	The objective of this project is to evaluate amorphous/crystalline SiOC/Fe(Cr) nanocomposites under extreme conditions of radiation damage. The limited resistance of current engineering materials to radiation damage is a key factor restricting the design of next generation nuclear reactors. Introduced interfaces that serve as point-defect sinks to remove radiation damage and suppress swelling is one of strategies to improve radiation tolerance of structural materials. For example, nanoscale metallic interfaces, e.g. interfaces of face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic alloys, have displayed strong sink behavior. Unlike the radiation responses of crystalline solids, which have been studied for decades, the fundamental processes by which amorphous alloy/crystalline composites respond to irradiation have received relatively less attention and are therefore still largely unknown. Our preliminary results show that SiOC is simultaneously resistant to ion-induced displacement damage and degradation due to implanted helium (He), markedly elevating its potential for use in advanced nuclear reactors. Several properties of SiOC can be improved, including plasticity, thermal conductivity, etc. by introducing an Fe component. A prime hypothesis of this proposal is that the amorphous/crystalline composite interface, together with the composite constituents, will provide significantly enhanced radiation tolerance, similar to or superior to those observed in metallic nanolayered structures, in a more engineering relevant material system. To create crystal/amorphous interfaces, magnetron sputtering will be implemented to prepare SiOC/Fe and SiOC/Fe(Cr) multilayers. To test the above hypotheses, we will carry out 3.5 MeV Fe irradiation experiment on pure SiOC, SiOC/Fe and SiOC/Fe(Cr) composite films with damage level to 100, 200, 400 dpa and investigate irradiation effect via transmission electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, nanoindentation and micropillar compression test. The potential results will be used in the development of a new class of ceramic/metal composites that can be adapted for engineering applications in advanced nuclear reactors with improved materials performance.
Award Announced Date	2019-09-17T00:00:00
Awarded Institution	None
Facility	None
Facility Tech Lead	Lin Shao
Irradiation Facility	None
PI	Qing Su
PI Email	[email protected]
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	1509