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DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Hf(AlFe)6 by Materials Project

Fe6Al6Hf crystallizes in the orthorhombic Immm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Hf is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to twelve Fe and eight Al atoms. There are four shorter (3.19 Å) and eight longer (3.24 Å) Hf–Fe bond lengths. There are two shorter (2.82 Å) and six longer (2.93 Å) Hf–Al bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Fe sites. In the first Fe site, Fe is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Hf, four Fe, and six Al atoms. There are two shorter (2.47 Å) and two longer (2.48 Å) Fe–Fe bond lengths. There are two shorter (2.50 Å) and four longer (2.57 Å) Fe–Al bond lengths. In the second Fe site, Fe is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Hf, four equivalent Fe, and six Al atoms. There are a spread of Fe–Al bond distances ranging from 2.55–2.60 Å. There are three inequivalent Al sites. In the first Al site, Al is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to one Hf, six Fe, and three Al atoms. There are one shorter (2.67 Å) and two longer (2.83 Å) Al–Al bond lengths. In the second Al site, Al is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to one Hf, six Fe, and one Al atom. The Al–Al bond length is 2.78 Å. In the third Al site, Al is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Hf, six Fe, and two equivalent Al atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

How Does HF-DFT Achieve Chemical Accuracy for Water Clusters?

Bolstered by recent calculations of exact functional-driven errors (FEs) and density-driven errors (DEs) of semilocal density functionals in the water dimer binding energy , we investigate approximate FEs and DEs in neutral water clusters containing up to 20 monomers, charged water clusters, and alkali- and halide-water clusters. Our proxy for the exact density is r 2 SCAN 50, a 50% global hybrid of exact exchange with r 2 SCAN, which may be less correct than r 2 SCAN for the compact water monomer but importantly more correct for long-range electron transfers in the noncompact water clusters. We show that SCAN makes substantially larger FEs for neutral water clusters than r 2 SCAN, while both make essentially the same DEs. Unlike the case for barrier heights, these FEs are small in a relative sense and become large in an absolute sense only due to an increase in cluster size. SCAN@HF, short for SCAN evaluated on the Hartree–Fock (HF) density, produces a cancellation of errors that makes it chemically accurate for predicting the absolute binding energies of water clusters. Likewise, adding a long-range dispersion correction to r 2 SCAN@HF, as in the composite method HF-r 2 SCAN-DC4, makes its FE more negative than in r 2 SCAN@HF, permitting a near-perfect cancellation of FE and DE. r 2 SCAN by itself (and even more so, r 2 SCAN evaluated on the r 2 SCAN 50 density), is almost perfect for the energy differences between water hexamers, and thus probably also for liquid water away from the boiling point. Thus, the accuracy of composite methods like SCAN@HF and HF-r 2 SCAN-DC4 is not due to the HF density being closer to the exact density, but to a compensation of errors from its greater degree of localization. We also give an argument for the approximate reliability of this unconventional error cancellation for diverse molecular properties. Lastly, we confirm this unconventional error cancellation for the SCAN description of the water trimer via Kohn–Sham inversion of the CCSD(T) density.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Effective Landau-type model of a Hf x Zr 1 - x O 2 -graphene nanostructure

Here, to describe the charge-polarization coupling in the nanostructure formed by a thin Hf x Zr 1-x O 2 film with a single-layer graphene as a top electrode, we develop the “effective” Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire model. This approach is based on the parametrization of the Landau expansion coefficients for the polar (FE) and antipolar (AFE) orderings in thin Hf 1-x Zr x O 2 films from a limited number of polarization-field curves and hysteresis loops. The Landau expansion coefficients are nonlinearly dependent on the film thickness h and Zr/[Hf+Zr] ratio x, in contrast to h-independent and linearly x-dependent expansion coefficients of a classical Landau energy. We explain the dependence of the Landau expansion coefficients by the strong nonmonotonic dependence of the Hf 1-x Zr x O 2 film polar properties on the film thickness, grain size and surface energy. The proposed Landau free energy with five “effective” expansion coefficients, which are interpolation functions of x and h, describes the continuous transformation of polarization dependences on applied electric field and hysteresis loop shapes induced by the changes of x and h in the range 0 < x < 1 and 5 nm < h < 35 nm. Using the effective free energy, we demonstrated that the polarization of Hf 1-x Zr x O 2 film influences strongly on the graphene conductivity, and the full correlation between the distribution of polarization and charge carriers in graphene is revealed. In accordance with our modeling, the polarization of the (5 – 25) nm thick Hf 1-x Zr x O 2 films, which are in the ferroelectric-like or antiferroelectric-like states for the chemical compositions 0.35 ≤ x ≤ 0.95, determine the concentration of carriers in graphene and can control its field dependence. The result can be promising for creation of next generation Si-compatible nonvolatile memories and graphene-ferroelectric FETs, because the working voltages applied to the Hf 1-x Zr x O 2 film (which acts as a gate) can be relatively low (less than 2 V). These low voltages are sufficient to induce the pronounced hysteresis of ferroelectric polarization in the Hf 1-x Zr x O 2 gate, which, due to the strong electric coupling, induces the hysteresis of the graphene charge.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Hf‐W chronology of a macrochondrule from the L5/6 chondrite Northwest Africa 8192

Abstract A large, igneous‐textured, and 2 cm‐sized spherical object from the L5/6 chondrite NWA 8192 was investigated for its chemical composition, petrography, O isotopic composition, and Hf‐W chronology. The petrography and chemical data indicate that this object closely resembles commonly found chondrules in ordinary chondrites and is therefore classified as a “macrochondrule.* As a result of metal loss during its formation, the macrochondrule exhibits elevated Hf/W, which makes it possible to date this object using the short‐lived 182 Hf‐ 182 W system. The Hf‐W data provide a two‐stage model age for metal–silicate fractionation of 1.4 ± 0.6 Ma after Ca‐Al‐rich inclusion (CAI) formation, indicating that the macrochondrule formed coevally to normal‐sized chondrules from ordinary chondrites. By contrast, Hf‐W data for metal from the host chondrite yield a younger model age of ~11 Ma after CAIs. This younger age agrees with Hf‐W ages of other type 5–6 ordinary chondrites, and corresponds to the time of cooling below the Hf‐W closure temperature during thermal metamorphism on the parent body. The Hf‐W model age difference between the macrochondrule and the host metal demonstrates that the Hf‐W systematics of the bulk macrochondrule were not disturbed during thermal metamorphism, and therefore, that the formation age of such objects can still be determined even in strongly metamorphosed samples. Collectively, this study illustrates that chondrule formation was not limited to mm‐size objects, implying that the rarity of macrochondrules reflects either that this process was very inefficient, that subsequent nebular size‐sorting decimated large chondrules, or that large precursors were rare.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2017

Hardness and Second Phase Percentage of Ni-Ti-Hf Compounds After Heat Treatment at 700C

The Vickers hardness and second phase precipitation of three ternary intermetallic Ni-Ti-Hf compounds containing either 1, 3 or 5 at.% Hf were compared to 60-Nitinol (55 at.% Ni - 45 at.% Ti). Heat treatment either at 700 C or with a subsequent aging step, hardened the 3 and 5 at.% Hf-containing ternaries to approximately 620 HV (56 HRC). Heat treatment increased the hardness of the 1 at.% Hf compound by more than 25 percent. Average hardness of the 3 and 5 at.% Hf ternaries, though higher than that of the binary Ni-Ti or the Ni-Ti-Hf compound containing 1 at.% Hf, appeared to be fairly insensitive to the different heat treatments. There was a drastic reduction of fatigue-enhancing second phase precipitates for the 5 at.% Hf ternaries compared to the other compounds. These results should guide materials selection for development of aerospace componentry.

intermetallics↗

DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Hf(VGa2)2 by Materials Project

HfV2Ga4 crystallizes in the tetragonal I4/mmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Hf is bonded in a distorted square co-planar geometry to twelve Ga atoms. There are four shorter (2.76 Å) and eight longer (3.16 Å) Hf–Ga bond lengths. V is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to two equivalent V and eight Ga atoms. Both V–V bond lengths are 2.59 Å. All V–Ga bond lengths are 2.67 Å. There are five inequivalent Ga sites. In the first Ga site, Ga is bonded in a 11-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Hf, four equivalent V, and four Ga atoms. There are two shorter (2.56 Å) and two longer (2.76 Å) Ga–Ga bond lengths. In the second Ga site, Ga is bonded in a 11-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Hf, four equivalent V, and four Ga atoms. The Ga–Ga bond length is 2.56 Å. In the third Ga site, Ga is bonded in a 11-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Hf, four equivalent V, and four Ga atoms. The Ga–Ga bond length is 2.56 Å. In the fourth Ga site, Ga is bonded in a 11-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Hf, four equivalent V, and four Ga atoms. There are two shorter (2.56 Å) and two longer (2.76 Å) Ga–Ga bond lengths. In the fifth Ga site, Ga is bonded in a 11-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Hf, four equivalent V, and four Ga atoms. There are one shorter (2.56 Å) and two longer (2.76 Å) Ga–Ga bond lengths.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Microstructure, mechanical, and thermal properties of compositionally complex (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 ‒LaB 6 ceramics

Novel compositionally complex borides, (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 and (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 ‒LaB 6 , were fabricated using spark plasma sintering process. (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 ‒LaB 6 exhibits a dual-phase microstructure, in which (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 is a primary phase with the hexagonal structure and LaB 6 is a secondary phase with a cubic structure. The mechanical properties of both (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 and (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 ‒LaB 6 are comparable, with a combination of high hardness and moderate fracture toughness. Thermal diffusivity and conductivity of (Hf,Zr,Nb,Ti)B 2 are much lower than the individual transition metal borides but are significantly increased by the addition of LaB 6 . Herein, it is implied that the thermal properties of boride ceramics can be controlled through the appropriate design of principal metal element compositions.

borides↗

NASA NTRS1974

Abundances of the group IVB elements, Ti, Zr, and Hf and implications of their ratios in lunar materials

New data on Zr and Hf abundances in samples from recent Apollo missions and a few from earlier missions are presented. The data confirm our previous suggestion of a modest Zr-Hf fractionation among lunar rock types. The four major lunar rock types can be readily distinguished, based on Zr and Hf abundances and Zr/Hf mass ratios. Mare basalts exhibit mean Zr abundances ranging from 111 ppm for Apollo 15 to 534 ppm for Apollo 11 and low Zr/Hf mass ratios ranging from 34 to 39. KREEP basalts are characterized by very high Zr contents (mean = 1380 ppm Zr) and high Zr/Hf ratio of 47. Anorthosites exhibit extremely low Zr and Hf contents and possibly very low Zr/Hf ratios. Arguments that the fractionation may be partly due to the presence of Zr(3+) in lunar magmas while Hf remains as Hf(4+) are presented. These data for Zr and Hf together with data for Ti recently obtained on the same samples in our laboratory are discussed in support of a modified two-stage lunar crustal evolution model.

Ehmann, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Effects of C and Hf concentration on phase relations and microstructure of a wrought powder-metallurgy superalloy

NASA IIB-11, a candidate alloy for advanced temperature turbine engine disks, and four modifications with varying C and Hf concentrations were produced from prealloyed powders. Several notable effects of C and Hf concentration in the alloys were observed. Both the amount of the gamma-prime phase and its solvus temperature increased with decreasing C, but only the gamma-prime solvus was affected by Hf, increasing with increasing Hf. Hf also promoted a cellular gamma-prime precipitation. Hf was, however, about equally distributed between gamma-prime and gamma. Hf and C both affected the carbides formed. Increasing both promoted formation of an MC relative to that of an M6C.

Miner, R. V., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Importance of the Lu-Hf isotopic system in studies of planetary chronology and chemical evolution

The Lu-176-Hf-176 isotope method and its applications in earth sciences are discussed with regard to planetary-evolution studies. From new data on basalts from oceanic islands, Hf-176/Hf-177 and Nd-143/Nd-144 are found to display a single linear isotopic variation in the suboceanic mantle, whereas considerable divergences occur in Hf-176/Hf-177-Sr-87/Sr-86 and Nd-143/Nd-144-Sr87/Sr-86 diagrams. With the acquisition of further Hf-Sr-Nd isotopic data, these discordant Sr-87/Sr-86 relationships may allow a distinction between processes such as mantle metasomatism, influence of sea-water altered material in the magma source, or recycling of sediments into the mantle. The best quality Hf isotope data are obtained from granitoid or zircons, and are most suitable for studying ancient terrestrial Hf isotopic variations. Lu-Hf is shown to be a viable method for dating ancient terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples, but is unlikely to find wide application in pure chronological studies because it offers little advantage over existing methods.

Patchett, P. J.↗

NASA NTRS2009

LU-HF Age and Isotope Systematics of ALH84001

Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 is an orthopyroxenite that is unique among the Martian meteorites in having the oldest inferred crystallization age (approx..4.5 to 4.0 Gyr) [e.g., 1-6 and references therein 7]. Its ancient origin makes this stone a critical constraint on early history of Mars, in particular the evolution of different planetary crust and mantle reservoirs. However, because there is significant variability in reported crystallization ages, determination of initial isotope compositions is imprecise making assessment of planetary reservoirs difficult. Here we report a new Lu-Hf mineral isochron age, initial Hf-176/Hf-177 isotope composition, and inferred Martian mantle source compositions for ALH84001 that place constraints on longlived source reservoirs for the enriched shergottite suite of Martian meteorites including Shergotty, Zagami, NWA4468, NWA856, RBT04262, LAR06319, and Los Angeles. Sm-Nd isotope analyses are under way for the same mineral aliquots analyzed for Lu-Hf. The Lu-Hf system was utilized because Lu and Hf are both lithophile and refractory and are not easily redistributed during short-lived thermal pulses associated with shock metamorphism. Moreover, chromite has relatively modest Hf concentrations with very low Lu/Hf ratios [9] yielding tight constraints on initial Hf-176/Hf-177 isotope compositions

Righter, M.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Hf(FeGe)6 by Materials Project

HfFe6Ge6 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6/mmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Hf is bonded to twelve equivalent Fe and eight Ge atoms to form distorted face-sharing HfFe12Ge8 hexagonal bipyramids. All Hf–Fe bond lengths are 3.23 Å. There are two shorter (2.76 Å) and six longer (2.92 Å) Hf–Ge bond lengths. Fe is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Hf, four equivalent Fe, and six Ge atoms. All Fe–Fe bond lengths are 2.53 Å. There are a spread of Fe–Ge bond distances ranging from 2.48–2.64 Å. There are three inequivalent Ge sites. In the first Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to one Hf, six equivalent Fe, and one Ge atom. The Ge–Ge bond length is 2.55 Å. In the second Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Hf and six equivalent Fe atoms. In the third Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Fe atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Materials Data on Hf(AlNi4)3 by Materials Project

Hf(Ni4Al)3 is Uranium Silicide-derived structured and crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/mmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Hf is bonded to twelve Ni atoms to form HfNi12 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with twenty-four NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra. There are four shorter (2.56 Å) and eight longer (2.62 Å) Hf–Ni bond lengths. There are six inequivalent Ni sites. In the first Ni site, Ni is bonded in a distorted square co-planar geometry to four equivalent Hf and eight Ni atoms. All Ni–Ni bond lengths are 2.62 Å. In the second Ni site, Ni is bonded to eight Ni and four equivalent Al atoms to form NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with eight NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with sixteen NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with thirteen NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra. All Ni–Ni bond lengths are 2.51 Å. All Ni–Al bond lengths are 2.56 Å. In the third Ni site, Ni is bonded to eight equivalent Ni and four equivalent Al atoms to form NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with twelve NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with eight equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with sixteen equivalent NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with fourteen NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra. All Ni–Ni bond lengths are 2.52 Å. All Ni–Al bond lengths are 2.56 Å. In the fourth Ni site, Ni is bonded to two equivalent Hf, eight Ni, and two equivalent Al atoms to form distorted NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with twelve NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with twelve NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with twelve NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra. All Ni–Ni bond lengths are 2.56 Å. Both Ni–Al bond lengths are 2.51 Å. In the fifth Ni site, Ni is bonded to eight Ni and four Al atoms to form distorted NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with twelve NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with eight AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with sixteen NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra, faces with four AlNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with fourteen NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra. All Ni–Ni bond lengths are 2.56 Å. There are two shorter (2.51 Å) and two longer (2.52 Å) Ni–Al bond lengths. In the sixth Ni site, Ni is bonded to two equivalent Hf, eight Ni, and two equivalent Al atoms to form distorted NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with twelve NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with twelve NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent AlNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with twelve NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra. There are two shorter (2.51 Å) and four longer (2.56 Å) Ni–Ni bond lengths. Both Ni–Al bond lengths are 2.51 Å. There are two inequivalent Al sites. In the first Al site, Al is bonded to twelve Ni atoms to form AlNi12 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent HfNi12 cuboctahedra, corners with eight AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with twenty NiHf2Al2Ni8 cuboctahedra, a faceface with one HfNi12 cuboctahedra, faces with five AlNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with twelve NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra. In the second Al site, Al is bonded to twelve Ni atoms to form AlNi12 cuboctahedra that share corners with twelve AlNi12 cuboctahedra, edges with twenty-four NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra, faces with six AlNi12 cuboctahedra, and faces with twelve NiAl4Ni8 cuboctahedra.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Synthesis of Hf 6 Ta 2 O 17 superstructure via spark plasma sintering for improved oxidation resistance of multi-component ultra-high temperature ceramics

Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) have shown aspiration to overcome challenges in the thermal protection system (TPS) by designing new materials referred to as multi-component UHTCs (MC-UHTCs) in the compositional space. MC-UHTCs have shown remarkable improvement in oxidation resistance due to the formation of the Hf6Ta2O17 superstructure during plasma exposure. Herein, the Hf 6 Ta 2 O 17 superstructure is synthesized via a solid-state reaction between HfO 2 and Ta 2 O 5 powder mixtures during spark plasma sintering (SPS). The compositions chosen are 50 vol% of HfO 2 -50 vol% of Ta 2 O 5 (50HO-50TO) and 70 vol% of HfO 2 -30 vol% of Ta 2 O 5 (70HO-30TO). The phase quantification via Rietveld analysis showed Hf 6 Ta 2 O 17 as a principal phase with some residual Ta 2 O 5 phase in both the samples. The high-temperature thermal stability of the samples was evaluated using high-velocity plasma jet exposure for up to 3 min. 50HO-50TO was able to withstand the intense plasma condition, which is attributed to the higher content of the Hf 6 Ta 2 O 17 phase (~84%) and lower strain in the Ta 2 O 5 phase. The augmentation in the Hf 6 Ta 2 O 17 phase to 94.7% (in 50HO-50TO) post plasma exposure has been attributed to the invariant transformation from a liquid state to Hf 6 Ta 2 O 17 at temperatures >2500 °C during testing. The mechanical integrity is elucidated from the insignificant change in the hardness ~13.3 GPa before and 11.2 GPa after plasma exposure of the 50HO-50TO sample. As a result, the Hf 6 Ta 2 O 17 superstructure's thermo-mechanical stability suggests developing novel oxidation-resistant MC-UHTCs in compositional space for reusable space vehicle applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

The strong influence of Ti, Zr, Hf solutes and their oxidation on microstructure and performance of Nb 3 Sn superconductors

The strong influence of Ti, Zr, Hf solutes and their oxidation on microstructure and performance of Nb 3 Sn superconductors Over the last few years a new type of Nb 3 Sn superconducting composite based on the internal oxidation approach has emerged and has demonstrated performance significantly superior to conventional Nb 3 Sn. It requires a supply of O and the use of a Nb alloy – Nb-X, where X is a solute element that can be selectively oxidized to form oxide particles within the Nb 3 Sn. Such oxide particles not only refine Nb 3 Sn grain size, but also have the proper size to act as artificial pinning centers (APC) directly restraining fluxon motion, and thus dramatically improve superconducting properties. In this article we show that the size and volume fraction of the oxide particles determine both the levels of grain refinement and the shift in the peak field of the flux pinning force (F p -B) curve. Additionally, we explore the factors influencing these microstructure and properties, which we find include: selection of the solute element X, solute content, O content, and heat treatment. For the selection of X, we searched the periodic table for all promising candidates but focused down on the group-IVB elements (Ti, Zr, Hf) here as the drawability of Nb 3 Sn wires made from Nb-Ti, Nb-Zr, and Nb-Hf alloys has been demonstrated in the past few decades. We found that while internally oxidizing Nb-1.5at.%Ti led to negligible grain refinement and F p -B peak shift, Nb-Zr alloys led to much more dramatic results, and internally oxidizing Nb-Hf alloys led to the strongest grain refinement and F p -B peak shift. For Hf alloying in particular, we compared our internal oxidation method with another method for grain refinement, which uses Hf alloying itself without oxidation, and found that internal oxidation led to much stronger grain refinement and F p -B peak shift. We also found that higher solute content and lower reaction temperature led to stronger grain refinement and F p -B peak shift. We conclude with a discussion of the possible mechanisms for the influence of these factors.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Production and performance of a 172 Hf/ 172 Lu generator

A 172 Hf/ 172 Lu radionuclide generator system to produce 172 Lu for laboratory scale applications in lutetium-based radiochemistry development was established and evaluated. The parent 172 Hf radionuclide was produced through 35.2 MeV proton irradiation of natural lutetium metal foil at the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer. Four resins were investigated for 172 Hf separation from bulk Lu target material: LN resin, ZR resin, in-house synthesized hydroxamate, and methyl-substituted hydroxamate resins, all with comparable performance. Separated 172 Hf was consolidated and used to create a ZR resin-based 4.9(3) MBq 172 Hf/ 172 Lu generator which was eluted 49 times over two years with no observed breakthrough of 172 Hf, and an average elution efficiency of 98(1)%. The eluted 172 Lu was used to radiolabel the macrocyclic chelator DOTA with an apparent molar activity of 8(2)x10 2 kBq/nmol.

172Hf/172Lu radionuclide generator↗

DOE OSTI2025

Microstructure of Neutron-Irradiated Al 3 Hf-Al Thermal Neutron Absorber Materials

A thermal neutron-absorbing metal matrix composite (MMC) comprised of Al 3 Hf particles in an aluminum matrix was developed to filter out thermal neutrons and create a fast flux environment for material testing in a mixed-spectrum nuclear reactor. Intermetallic Al 3 Hf particles capture thermal neutrons and are embedded in a highly conductive aluminum matrix that provides conductive cooling of the heat generated due to thermal neutron capture by the hafnium. These Al 3 Hf-Al MMCs were fabricated using powder metallurgy via hot pressing. The specimens were neutron-irradiated to between 1.12 and 5.38 dpa and temperatures ranging from 286 °C to 400 °C. The post-irradiation examination included microstructure characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. This study reports the microstructural observations of four irradiated samples and one unirradiated control sample. All the samples showed the presence of oxide at the particle–matrix interface. The irradiated specimens revealed needle-like structures that extended from the surface of the Al 3 Hf particles into the Al matrix. An automated segmentation tool was implemented based on a YOLO11 computer vision-based approach to identify dislocation lines and loops in TEM images of the irradiated Al-Al 3 Hf MMCs. This work provides insight into the microstructural stability of Al 3 Hf-Al MMCs under irradiation, supporting their consideration as a novel neutron absorber that enables advanced spectral tailoring.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1981

Lu-Hf total-rock age for the Amitsoq gneisses, West Greenland

Lu-Hf total-rock data for the Amitsoq gneisses of West Greenland yield an age of 3.55 + or - 0.22 billion years, based on the decay constant for Lu-176 of 1.96 x 10 to the -11th/year, and an initial Hf-176/Hf-177 ratio of 0.280482 + or - 33. The result is in good agreement with Rb-Sr total-rock and U-Pb zircon ages. In spite of severe metamorphism of the area at 2.9 billion years, zircons from two of the samples have remained on the total-rock line, and define points close to the initial Hf ratio. The initial Hf-176/Hf-177 lies close to a chondritic Hf isotopic evolution curve from 4.55 billion years to present. This is consistent with the igneous precursors to the Amitsoq gneisses having been derived from the mantle at or shortly before 3.6 billion years. Anomalous relationships between Hf concentration and the Lu-176/Hf-177 ratio may suggest that trace element abundances in the Amitsoq gneisses are partly controlled by processes related to metamorphism.

Pettingill, H. S.↗