DOE OSTI · 3027527
Ultra-pure nickel for structural components of low-radioactivity instruments
Abstract
The next generation of nuclear and particle physics rare-event search experiments demand structural materials combining ultra-low levels of radioactive contamination with exceptional mechanical strength. Here, this study evaluates chemical vapor deposition (CVD) nickel as a low radioactive background candidate structural material for such applications. Manufacturer-supplied CVD Ni grown on aluminum substrates was assayed via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) employing isotope-dilution. These material assays produced measured bulk concentration of 232 Th, 238 U, and nat K at the levels of ~70 ppq, ≲100 ppq, and ~900 ppt, respectively, which is the lowest reported in nickel. Surface-etch profiling uncovered higher concentrations of these contaminants extending ~10 μ m beneath the surface, likely associated with the aluminum growth substrate. Additionally, the CVD Ni underwent tensile testing alongside standard Ni samples. CVD Ni exhibited a planar tensile strength of ~600 MPa, significantly surpassing standard nickel. However, heat treatment was found to reduce the tensile strength to levels comparable to standard Ni, with implications for high-temperature weld joining methods. The results reported are compared to the one other well documented usage of CVD Ni in a low radioactive background physics research experiment and a discussion is provided on how the currently reported results may arise from changes in CVD fabrication or testing process. These results establish CVD Ni as a promising low-radioactivity structural material, while outlining the need for further development in surface cleaning and weld-joining techniques to fully realize its potential in large-scale, low radioactive background rare-event search experiments.
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Roosendaal, T. J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); et al.], Overman, C.T., Ortega, G.S. (ORCID:0000000246851826), Schlieder, T.D., Rocco, N.D. (ORCID:000000019420073X), Horkley, L.K.S., Hobbs, K.P. (ORCID:0009000485372811), Harouaka, K. (ORCID:0000000253050138), Orrell, John L. (ORCID:0000000179684051), Acharya, P., Amy, A., Angelico, E. (ORCID:0000000192358023), Anker, A., Arnquist, I.J. (ORCID:0000000256438330), Atencio, A. (ORCID:0009000986337467), Bane, J. (ORCID:0000000321999733), Belov, V., Bernard, E.P. (ORCID:0000000229445359), Bhatta, T., Bolotnikov, A. (ORCID:0009000848868091), Breslin, J. (ORCID:0009000313046091), Breur, P.A. (ORCID:0000000153975299), Brodsky, J.P. (ORCID:0000000274986461), Brown, E. (ORCID:0000000245704410), Brunner, T. (ORCID:0000000231318148), Burnell, B., Caden, E. (ORCID:0000000334557854), Cao, L.Q., Cesmecioglu, D. (ORCID:0009000071734333), Charlebois, S.A. (ORCID:0000000178575056), Chernyak, D. (ORCID:0000000161623453), Chiu, M. (ORCID:0000000193829093), Daniels, T., Darroch, L. (ORCID:0009000161238472), DeVoe, R., di Vacri, M.L. (ORCID:0000000150489762), Dolinski, M.J. (ORCID:0000000277162126), Eckert, B. (ORCID:0000000170476176), Elbeltagi, M., Emara, A., Fairbank, W. (ORCID:0000000340230815), Foust, B.T. (ORCID:0000000317133128), Gallacher, D. (ORCID:0000000293950560), Gallice, Niccolo (ORCID:000000031226388X), Gillis, W., Gorham, A., Gratta, G. (ORCID:0000000263721628), Hardy, C.A. (ORCID:0000000249891700), Hedges, S.C. (ORCID:0000000162552933), Heffner, M. (ORCID:0000000309099871), Hein, E., Holt, J.D., Hoppe, E.W. (ORCID:0000000281717323), Iverson, A., Karelin, A., Kotov, I.V. (ORCID:0000000328919310), Kuchenkov, A., Larson, A., Latif, M.B. (ORCID:0000000293264456), Lavoie, S. (ORCID:000900006336511X), Leach, K.G. (ORCID:0000000247511698), Lenardo, B.G. (ORCID:0000000273455554), Leonard, D.S. (ORCID:0009000671594792), Leung, K.K.H. (ORCID:0000000203285326), Lewis, H. (ORCID:0000000346984300), Li, X. (ORCID:0009000603223017), Li, Z., Licciardi, C. (ORCID:0000000312874592), Lindsay, R., MacLellan, R. (ORCID:0000000324795277), Majidi, S., Malbrunot, C. (ORCID:0000000161936601), Marquis, M., Masbou, J., Medina-Peregrina, M., Mngonyama, S., Mong, B. (ORCID:0000000156709535), Moore, D.C. (ORCID:0000000223584761), Ngwadla, X.E., Ni, K. (ORCID:0000000325660091), Nolan, A., Nowicki, S.C., Ondze, J.C. Nzobadila (ORCID:0000000316978532), Odian, A., Pagani, L., Smalley, H. Peltz, Pena-Perez, A., Piepke, A., Pocar, A. (ORCID:0000000285986512), Prentice, S., Radeka, V. (ORCID:000000026975827X), Rai, R., Rasiwala, H. (ORCID:0000000162514507), Ray, D. (ORCID:0000000239689832), Rescia, S. (ORCID:0000000324118903), Richardson, G. (ORCID:0000000193532791), Riot, V. (ORCID:0000000182393079), Ross, R., Rowson, P.C., Saldanha, R. (ORCID:0000000327713281). 2026-02-19. Ultra-pure nickel for structural components of low-radioactivity instruments. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2026.171402
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