Structural integrity and damage of ZrB2 ceramics after 4 MeV Au ions irradiation

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2020.09.019

Abstract

Abstract:

Ultra-high temperature ceramics have been considered as good candidates for plasma facing materials due to their combination of high melting point, high strength and hardness, high thermal conductivity as well as good chemical inertness. In this study, zirconium diboride has been chosen to investigate its irradiation damage behavior. Irradiated by 4 MeV Au²⁺ with a total fluence of 2.5 × 10¹⁶ cm^-2, zirconium diboride ceramic shows substantial resilience to irradiation-induced damage with its structural integrity well maintained but mild damage at lattice level. Grazing incident X-ray diffraction evidences no change of the hexagonal structure in the irradiated region but its lattice parameter a increased and c decreased, giving a volume shrinkage of ∼0.46%. Density functional theory calculation shows that such lattice shrinkage corresponds to a non-stoichiometric compound as ZrB_1.97. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope revealed an increase of valence electrons in zirconium, suggesting boron vacancies were indeed developed by the irradiation. Along the irradiation depth, long dislocations were observed inside top layer with a depth of ∼750 nm where the implanted Au ions reached the peak concentration. Underneath the top layer, a high density of Frank dislocations is formed by the cascade collision down to a depth of 1150 nm. All the features show the potential of ZrB₂ to be used as structural material in nuclear system.

Key words: Zirconium diboride, Heavy ion irradiation, Boron vacancy, Dislocation, Structure integration

Weichao Bao, Stuart Robertson, Jia-Wei Zhao, Ji-Xuan Liu, Houzheng Wu, Guo-Jun Zhang, Fangfang Xu. Structural integrity and damage of ZrB₂ ceramics after 4 MeV Au ions irradiation[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 72: 223-230.

Figures/Tables 8

Table 1 Melting point (°C) of W and some UHTC.

W	ZrB₂	HfB₂	ZrC
3267 ± 30 [10]	3245 [11]	3380 [11]	3530 [12]

Fig. 1. Damage and Au ions range profile estimated with SRIM2013 in ZrB2, irradiated with 2.5 × 1016 cm-2 4 MeV Au ions.

Fig. 2. Microstructure and chemical composition of as-manufactured polycrystalline ZrB2. (a) back-scattered SEM image; (b) HAADF TEM image of a section across a dark spot shown in (a); (c-d) HR images acquired from the region marked by green dashed circle and red dashed square, respectively in (b), with diffraction patterns inset in the top right corner; (e) EELS elemental maps around the dark region in (b); (f) EELS spectra acquired from regions marked by red dashed square and green dashed circle in (b).

Fig. 3. (a) GIXRD patterns of virgin (V) and irradiated (I) ZrB2 with different incidence angle; (b) The difference of lattice parameter between virgin and irradiated ZrB2 (dI-dV) with different crystal planes; (c) The variation of lattice parameters a, c and c/a; (d) Synchrotron radiation GIXRD patterns with different incidence angle for (001), (100) and (101) crystal planes.

Fig. 4. (a) HAADF images of cross-section ZrB2 after irradiation with [1-210] type diffraction vector, respectively; (b) and (c) boron K-edge and zirconium M2,3-edge absorption spectra of relevant area in (a), respectively.

Fig. 5. (a) Calculated c/a ratio versus B/Zr ratio; (b) Theoretically calculated XRD patterns based on the calculated cell with different B/Zr ratios; (c-d) Experimental and calculated GIXRD patterns with 2Theta form 50° to 60°, respectively.

Fig. 6. (a) BF image of cross section of irradiated ZrB2 and (b) STEM-EDS line scan of cross-section ZrB2 before and after irradiation.

Fig. 7. (a) BF image of cross section of as-finished surface of ZrB2 before irradiation with the inset image showing the residual lattice defects induced by surface finish operation; (b) BF images of cross-section ZrB2 after irradiation. Layer-1 and Layer-2 includes the defects mainly by primary knock-on atom (PKA) and cascade collision, respectively.

References 39

[1]	E.E. Bloom, S.J. Zinkle, F.W. Wiffen, J. Nucl. Mater. 329 (2004) 12-19.
[2]	S. Das, W. Liu, R. Xu, F. Hofmann, Mater. Des. 160 (2018) 1226-1237. DOI URL
[3]	D.M. Duffy, Mater. Today 12 (2009) 38-44.
[4]	K.D. Hammond, S. Blondel, L. Hu, D. Maroudas, B.D. Wirth, Acta Mater. 144 (2018) 561-578. DOI URL
[5]	X.C. Jin, X.L. Fan, C.S. Lu, T.J. Wang, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 38 (2018) 1-28. DOI URL
[6]	G.J. Zhang, J. Zou, D.W. Ni, H.T. Liu, Y.M. Kan, J. Inorg. Mater. 27 (2012) 225-233. DOI URL
[7]	L.M. Garrison, G.L. Kulcinski, G. Hilmas, W. Fahrenholtz, H.M.M. Iii, J. Nucl. Mater. 507 (2018) 112-125. DOI URL
[8]	W. Bao, S. Robertson, J.X. Liu, G.J. Zhang, F. Xu, H. Wu, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 38 (2018) 4373-4383. DOI URL
[9]	S. Agarwal, A. Bhattacharya, P. Trocellier, S.J. Zinkle, Acta Mater. 163 (2019) 14-27. DOI URL
[10]	I. Langmuir, Phys. Rev. 6 (1915) 138-157. DOI URL
[11]	W.G. Fahrenholtz, G.E. Hilmas, I.G. Talmy, J.A. Zaykoski, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 90 (2007) 1347-1364. DOI URL
[12]	G.M. Song, Y.J. Wang, Y. Zhou, J. Mater. Sci. 36 (2001) 4625-4631. DOI URL
[13]	H.B. Ma, H.L. Liu, J. Zhao, F.F. Xu, G.J. Zhang, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 35 (2015) 2699-2705. DOI URL
[14]	D.W. Ni, G.J. Zhang, Y.M. Kan, Y. Sakka, Scr. Mater. 60 (2009) 615-618. DOI URL
[15]	J. Zou, H.B. Ma, A. D’Angio, G.J. Zhang, Scr. Mater. 147 (2018) 40-44. DOI URL
[16]	W.F. Vogelsang, G.L. Kulcinski, R.G. Lott, T.Y. Sung, Nucl. Technol. 22 (1974) 379-391. DOI URL
[17]	G.S. Was, J. Mater. Res. 30 (2015) 1158-1182. DOI URL
[18]	J. Zou, G.-J. Zhang, J. Vleugels, O. Van der Biest, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 33 (2013) 1609-1614. DOI URL
[19]	J. Kotakoski, C.H. Jin, O. Lehtinen, K. Suenaga, A.V. Krasheninnikov, Phys. Rev. B 82 (2010) 113404. DOI URL
[20]	Y. Tie-Ying, W. Wen, Y. Guang-Zhi, L. Xiao-Long, G. Xing-Yu, Nucl. Sci. Tech. 26 (2015) 020101.
[21]	P. Giannozzi, S. Baroni, N. Bonini, M. Calandra, R. Car, C. Cavazzoni, D. Ceresoli, G. L. Chiarotti, M. Cococcioni, I. Dabo, A. Dal Corso, S. de Gironcoli, S. Fabris, G. Fratesi, R. Gebauer, U. Gerstmann, C. Gougoussis, A. Kokalj, M. Lazzeri, L. Martin-Samos, N. Marzari, F. Mauri, R. Mazzarello, S. Paolini, A. Pasquarello, L. Paulatto, C. Sbraccia, S. Scandolo, G. Sclauzero, A.P. Seitsonen, A. Smogunov, P. Umari, R.M. Wentzcovitch, J. Phys. -Condes. Matter 21 (2009) 395502. DOI URL
[22]	P. Giannozzi, O. Andreussi, T. Brumme, O. Bunau, M.B. Nardelli, M. Calandra, R. Car, C. Cavazzoni, D. Ceresoli, M. Cococcioni, N. Colonna, I. Carnimeo, A. Dal Corso, S. de Gironcoli, P. Delugas, R.A. DiStasio, A. Ferretti, A. Floris, G. Fratesi, G. Fugallo, R. Gebauer, U. Gerstmann, F. Giustino, T. Gorni, J. Jia, M. Kawamura, H.Y. Ko, A. Kokalj, E. Kucukbenli, M. Lazzeri, M. Marsili, N. Marzari, F. Mauri, N.L. Nguyen, H.V. Nguyen, A. Otero-de-la-Roza, L. Paulatto, S. Ponce, D. Rocca, R. Sabatini, B. Santra, M. Schlipf, A.P. Seitsonen, A. Smogunov, I. Timrov, T. Thonhauser, P. Umari, N. Vast, X. Wu, S. Baroni, J. Phys. -Condes. Matter 29 (2017) 465901. DOI URL
[23]	J.P. Perdew, A. Ruzsinszky, G.I. Csonka, O.A. Vydrov, G.E. Scuseria, L.A. Constantin, X.L. Zhou, K. Burke, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100 (2008) 136406. PMID
[24]	A. Kokalj, J. Mol. Graphics Model. 17 (1999) 176-179.
[25]	K. Momma, F. Izumi, J. Appl. Crystallogr. 44 (2011) 1272-1276. DOI URL
[26]	M. Wibbelt, H. Kohl, P. Kohler-Redlich, Phys. Rev. B 59 (1999) 11739-11745. DOI URL
[27]	F. Monteverde, A. Bellosi, Scr. Mater. 46 (2002) 223-228. DOI URL
[28]	H.B. Ma, J. Zou, P. Lu, J.T. Zhu, Z.Q. Fu, F.F. Xu, G.J. Zhang, Scr. Mater. 127 (2017) 160-164. DOI URL
[29]	W.R. Sweeney, R.T. Seal, L.S. Birks, Spectrochim. Acta 17 (1961) 364-365. DOI URL
[30]	J.A. Victoreen, J. Appl. Phys. 20 (1949) 1141-1147. DOI URL
[31]	R.D. Leapman, P.L. Fejes, J. Silcox, Phys. Rev. B 28 (1983) 2361-2373. DOI URL
[32]	K. Hofmann, R. Gruehn, B. Albert, Z. Anorg, Allg. Chem. 628 (2010) 2691-2696.
[33]	K. Lie, R. Høier, R. Brydson, K. Lie, R. Høier, R. Brydson, Phys. Rev. B 61 (2000) 1786-1794. DOI URL
[34]	S. Saito, K. Higeta, T. Ichinokawa, J. Microsc. 142 (1986) 141-151. DOI URL
[35]	S.C. Middleburgh, D.C. Parﬁtt, P.R. Blair, R.W. Grimes, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 94 (2011) 2225-2229. DOI URL
[36]	C.-M. Wang, X. Pan, M. Rühle, F.L. Riley, M. Mitomo, J. Mater. Sci. 31 (1996) 5281-5298. DOI URL
[37]	G. Will, J. Solid State Chem. 177 (2004) 628-631. DOI URL
[38]	B. Eisenmann, H. Schäfer, Elements, Borides, carbides, hydrides · 6. 2 borides, in: K.H. Hellwege, A.M. Hellwege (Eds.), “Structure Data of Elements and Intermetallic Phases” of Landolt-Börnstein-Group III Condensed Matter, Springer Materials Inc, Heidelberg, 1988, pp. 406-418.
[39]	J. Wade, P. Claydon, H. Wu, Plastic deformation and cracking resistance of SiC ceramics measured by indentation, in: D. Singh, J. Salem (Eds.), Mechanical Properties and Performance of Engineering Ceramics and Composites IX, The American Ceramic Society Inc., Westerile, 2014, pp. 91-100.

Structural integrity and damage of ZrB₂ ceramics after 4 MeV Au ions irradiation

RichHTML

PDF (PC)

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

Figures/Tables 8

References 39

Related Articles 15

Recommended Articles

Metrics

Comments

[1]	Jin-Yu Zhang, Fu-Zhi Dai, Zhi-Peng Sun, Wen-Zheng Zhang. Structures and energetics of semicoherent interfaces of precipitates in hcp/bcc systems: A molecular dynamics study [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 67(0): 50-60.
[2]	Lulu Li, Irene J. Beyerlein, Weizhong Han. Interface-facilitated stable plasticity in ultra-fine layered FeAl/FeAl₂ micro-pillar at high temperature [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 73(0): 61-65.
[3]	Yan Chong, Tilak Bhattacharjee, Yanzhong Tian, Akinobu Shibata, Nobuhiro Tsuji. Deformation mechanism of bimodal microstructure in Ti-6Al-4V alloy: The effects of intercritical annealing temperature and constituent hardness [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 71(0): 138-151.
[4]	Z. Zhen, H. Wang, C.Y. Teng, C.G. Bai, D.S. Xu, R. Yang. Dislocation self-interaction in TiAl: Evolution of super-dislocation dipoles revealed by atomistic simulations [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 69(0): 138-147.
[5]	Qianqian Jin, Xiaohong Shao, Shijian Zheng, Yangtao Zhou, Bo Zhang, Xiuliang Ma. Interfacial dislocations dominated lateral growth of long-period stacking ordered phase in Mg alloys [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 61(0): 114-118.
[6]	Ting Xiong, Wenfan Yang, Shijian Zheng, Zhaorui Liu, Yiping Lu, Ruifeng Zhang, Yangtao Zhou, Xiaohong Shao, Bo Zhang, Jun Wang, Fuxing Yin, Peter K. Liaw, Xiuliang Ma. Faceted Kurdjumov-Sachs interface-induced slip continuity in the eutectic high-entropy alloy, AlCoCrFeNi_2.1 [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 65(0): 216-227.
[7]	Bingqiang Wei, Song Ni, Yong Liu, Min Song. Structural characterization of the {11$\overline 2$2} twin boundary and the corresponding stress accommodation mechanisms in pure titanium [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 72(0): 114-121.
[8]	Xiao Zhang, Pei Wang, Dianzhong Li, Yiyi Li. Multi-scale study on the heterogeneous deformation behavior in duplex stainless steel [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 72(0): 180-188.
[9]	Yujie Cui, Kenta Aoyagi, Huakang Bian, Yuichiro Hayasaka, Akihiko Chiba. Effects of the aluminum concentration on twin boundary motion in pre-strained magnesium alloys [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 73(0): 116-127.
[10]	Huhu Su, Xinzhe Zhou, Shijian Zheng, Hengqiang Ye, Zhiqing Yang. Atomic-resolution studies on reactions between basal dislocations and $\left\{ 10\bar{1}2 \right\}$ coherent twin boundaries in a Mg alloy [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 66(0): 28-35.
[11]	Zhaohui Shan, Jing Bai, Jianfeng Fan, Hongfei Wu, Hua Zhang, Qiang Zhang, Yucheng Wu, Weiguo Li, Hongbiao Dong, Bingshe Xu. Exceptional mechanical properties of AZ31 alloy wire by combination of cold drawing and EPT [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2020, 51(0): 111-118.
[12]	Y.X. Lai, W. Fan, M.J. Yin, C.L. Wu, J.H. Chen. Structures and formation mechanisms of dislocation-induced precipitates in relation to the age-hardening responses of Al-Mg-Si alloys [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2020, 41(0): 127-138.
[13]	Qiuyan Huang, Yang Liu, Aiyue Zhang, Haoxin Jiang, Hucheng Pan, Xiaohui Feng, Changlin Yang, Tianjiao Luo, Yingju Li, Yuansheng Yang. Age hardening responses of as-extruded Mg-2.5Sn-1.5Ca alloys with a wide range of Al concentration [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2020, 38(0): 39-46.
[14]	Zhu Hui, Guo Dagang, Zang Hang, A.H. Hanaor Dorian, Yu Sen, Schmidt Franziska, Xu Kewei. Enhancement of hydroxyapatite dissolution through structure modification by Krypton ion irradiation [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2020, 38(0): 148-158.
[15]	Xin Zhang, Hongwei Li, Mei Zhan, Zebang Zheng, Jia Gao, Guangda Shao. Electron force-induced dislocations annihilation and regeneration of a superalloy through electrical in-situ transmission electron microscopy observations [J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2020, 36(0): 79-83.