TEM investigation of helium bubble evolution in tungsten and ZrC-strengthened tungsten at 800 and 1000°C under 40keV He+ irradiation

I. Ipatova; G. Greaves; D. Terentyev; M.R. Gilbert; Y.-L. Chiu

doi:10.1016/j.net.2023.12.003

TEM investigation of helium bubble evolution in tungsten and ZrC-strengthened tungsten at 800 and 1000°C under 40keV He⁺ irradiation

I. Ipatova^*, G. Greaves, D. Terentyev, M.R. Gilbert, Y.-L. Chiu

^*Corresponding author for this work

Metallurgy and Materials

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Helium-induced defect nucleation and accumulation in polycrystalline W and W0.5 wt%ZrC (W0.5ZrC) were studied in-situ using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with 40 keV He⁺ irradiation at 800 and 1000°С at the maximum damage level of 1 dpa. Radiation-induced dislocation loops were not observed in the current study. W0.5ZrC was found to be less susceptible to irradiation damage in terms of helium bubble formation and growth, especially at lower temperature (800 °C) when vacancies were less mobile. The ZrC particles present in the W matrix pin the forming helium bubbles via interaction between C atom and neighbouring W atom at vacancies. This reduces the capability of helium to trap a vacancy which is required to form the bubble core and, as a consequence, delays, the bubble nucleation.

At 1000 °C, significant bubble growth occurred in both materials and all the present bubbles transitioned from spherical to faceted shape, whereas at 800 °C, the faceted helium bubble population was dominated in W.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1490-1500
Number of pages	11
Journal	Nuclear Engineering and Technology
Volume	56
Issue number	4
Early online date	5 Dec 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.12.003
Publication status	Published - Apr 2024

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments:
The authors of this work acknowledge Prof S. E. Donnelly for access to the MIAMI-2 facility (grant ref. EPSRC EP/M028283/1) through the EPSRC-funded mid-range facility, the UK National Ion Beam Centre (NS/A000059/1). This work has been part-funded by the EPSRC Energy Programme [grant number EP/W006839/1]. The authors acknowledge Prof Yu Lung Chiu and the Centre for Electron Microscopy at the University of Birmingham for the provided support and assistance.

Keywords

Tungsten
Zirconium carbide
Plasma-facing materials
In-situ helium exposure
Faceted helium bubbles
Transmission electron microscopy

Access to Document

10.1016/j.net.2023.12.003Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

IpatovaI2023TEMFinal published version, 11.9 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

Cite this

@article{6942df2bebc04235b172da61fa0578eb,

title = "TEM investigation of helium bubble evolution in tungsten and ZrC-strengthened tungsten at 800 and 1000°C under 40keV He+ irradiation",

abstract = "Helium-induced defect nucleation and accumulation in polycrystalline W and W0.5 wt%ZrC (W0.5ZrC) were studied in-situ using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with 40 keV He+ irradiation at 800 and 1000°С at the maximum damage level of 1 dpa. Radiation-induced dislocation loops were not observed in the current study. W0.5ZrC was found to be less susceptible to irradiation damage in terms of helium bubble formation and growth, especially at lower temperature (800 °C) when vacancies were less mobile. The ZrC particles present in the W matrix pin the forming helium bubbles via interaction between C atom and neighbouring W atom at vacancies. This reduces the capability of helium to trap a vacancy which is required to form the bubble core and, as a consequence, delays, the bubble nucleation. At 1000 °C, significant bubble growth occurred in both materials and all the present bubbles transitioned from spherical to faceted shape, whereas at 800 °C, the faceted helium bubble population was dominated in W.",

keywords = "Tungsten, Zirconium carbide, Plasma-facing materials, In-situ helium exposure, Faceted helium bubbles, Transmission electron microscopy",

author = "I. Ipatova and G. Greaves and D. Terentyev and M.R. Gilbert and Y.-L. Chiu",

note = "Acknowledgments: The authors of this work acknowledge Prof S. E. Donnelly for access to the MIAMI-2 facility (grant ref. EPSRC EP/M028283/1) through the EPSRC-funded mid-range facility, the UK National Ion Beam Centre (NS/A000059/1). This work has been part-funded by the EPSRC Energy Programme [grant number EP/W006839/1]. The authors acknowledge Prof Yu Lung Chiu and the Centre for Electron Microscopy at the University of Birmingham for the provided support and assistance.",

year = "2024",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.net.2023.12.003",

language = "English",

volume = "56",

pages = "1490--1500",

journal = "Nuclear Engineering and Technology",

issn = "1738-5733",

publisher = "Elsevier Korea",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - TEM investigation of helium bubble evolution in tungsten and ZrC-strengthened tungsten at 800 and 1000°C under 40keV He+ irradiation

AU - Ipatova, I.

AU - Greaves, G.

AU - Terentyev, D.

AU - Gilbert, M.R.

AU - Chiu, Y.-L.

N1 - Acknowledgments: The authors of this work acknowledge Prof S. E. Donnelly for access to the MIAMI-2 facility (grant ref. EPSRC EP/M028283/1) through the EPSRC-funded mid-range facility, the UK National Ion Beam Centre (NS/A000059/1). This work has been part-funded by the EPSRC Energy Programme [grant number EP/W006839/1]. The authors acknowledge Prof Yu Lung Chiu and the Centre for Electron Microscopy at the University of Birmingham for the provided support and assistance.

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - Helium-induced defect nucleation and accumulation in polycrystalline W and W0.5 wt%ZrC (W0.5ZrC) were studied in-situ using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with 40 keV He+ irradiation at 800 and 1000°С at the maximum damage level of 1 dpa. Radiation-induced dislocation loops were not observed in the current study. W0.5ZrC was found to be less susceptible to irradiation damage in terms of helium bubble formation and growth, especially at lower temperature (800 °C) when vacancies were less mobile. The ZrC particles present in the W matrix pin the forming helium bubbles via interaction between C atom and neighbouring W atom at vacancies. This reduces the capability of helium to trap a vacancy which is required to form the bubble core and, as a consequence, delays, the bubble nucleation. At 1000 °C, significant bubble growth occurred in both materials and all the present bubbles transitioned from spherical to faceted shape, whereas at 800 °C, the faceted helium bubble population was dominated in W.

AB - Helium-induced defect nucleation and accumulation in polycrystalline W and W0.5 wt%ZrC (W0.5ZrC) were studied in-situ using the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with 40 keV He+ irradiation at 800 and 1000°С at the maximum damage level of 1 dpa. Radiation-induced dislocation loops were not observed in the current study. W0.5ZrC was found to be less susceptible to irradiation damage in terms of helium bubble formation and growth, especially at lower temperature (800 °C) when vacancies were less mobile. The ZrC particles present in the W matrix pin the forming helium bubbles via interaction between C atom and neighbouring W atom at vacancies. This reduces the capability of helium to trap a vacancy which is required to form the bubble core and, as a consequence, delays, the bubble nucleation. At 1000 °C, significant bubble growth occurred in both materials and all the present bubbles transitioned from spherical to faceted shape, whereas at 800 °C, the faceted helium bubble population was dominated in W.

KW - Tungsten

KW - Zirconium carbide

KW - Plasma-facing materials

KW - In-situ helium exposure

KW - Faceted helium bubbles

KW - Transmission electron microscopy

U2 - 10.1016/j.net.2023.12.003

DO - 10.1016/j.net.2023.12.003

M3 - Article

SN - 1738-5733

VL - 56

SP - 1490

EP - 1500

JO - Nuclear Engineering and Technology

JF - Nuclear Engineering and Technology

IS - 4

ER -