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At least 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Transmission Electron Microscopy of Iron Metal in Almahata Sitta Ureilite

Almahata Sitta (AS) is a polymict breccia mainly composed of variable ureilite lithologies with small amounts of chondritic lithologies [1]. Fe metal is a common accessory phase in ureilites, but our earlier study on Fe metals in one of AS fragments (#44) revealed a unique mineralogy never seen in other ureilites [2,3]. In this abstract we report detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on these metal grains to better understand the thermal history of ureilites. We prepared FIB sections of AS#44 by JEOL JIB-4000 from the PTS that was well characterized by SEM-EBSD in our earlier study [2]. The sections were then observed by STEM (JEOL JEM- 2100F). One of the FIB sections shows a submicron-sized symplectic intergrown texture composed of Fe metal (kamacite), Fe carbide (cohenite), Fe phosphide (schreibersite), and Fe sulfide (troilite). Each phase has an identical SAED pattern in spite of its complex texture, suggesting co-crystallization of all phases. This is probably caused by shock re-melting of pre-existing metal + graphite to form a eutectic-looking texture. The other FIB section is mostly composed of homogeneous Fe metal (93 wt% Fe, 5 wt% Ni, and 2 wt% Si), but BF-STEM images exhibited the presence of elongated lathy grains (approx. 2 microns long) embedded in the interstitial matrix. The SAED patterns from these lath grains could be indexed by alpha-Fe (bcc) while interstitial areas are gamma-Fe (fcc). The elongated alpha-Fe grains show tweed-like structures suggesting martensite transformation. Such a texture can be formed by rapid cooling from high temperature where gamma-Fe was stable. Subsequently alpha-Fe crystallized, but gamma-Fe remained in the interstitial matrix due to quenching from high temperature. This scenario is consistent with very rapid cooling history of ureilites suggested by silicate mineralogy.

Mikouchi, T.↗
DOE OSTI2015

DISPLACEMENT CASCADE SIMULATION IN TUNGSTEN UP TO 200 KEV OF DAMAGE ENERGY AT 300, 1025, AND 2050 K

We generated molecular dynamics database of primary defects that adequately covers the range of tungsten recoil energy imparted by 14-MeV neutrons. During this semi annual period, cascades at 150 and 200 keV at 300 and 1025 K were simulated. Overall, we included damage energy up to 200 keV at 300 and 1025 K, and up to 100 keV at 2050 K. We report the number of surviving Frenkel pairs (NF) and the size distribution of defect clusters. The slope of the NF curve versus cascade damage energy (EMD), on a log-log scale, changes at a transition energy (μ). For EMD > μ, the cascade forms interconnected damage regions that facilitate the formation of large clusters of defects. At 300 K and EMD = 200 keV, the largest size of interstitial cluster and vacancy cluster is 266 and 335, respectively. Similarly, at 1025 K and EMD = 200 keV, the largest size of interstitial cluster and vacancy cluster is 296 and 338, respectively. At 2050 K, large interstitial clusters also routinely form, but practically no large vacancy clusters do

Setyawan, Wahyu↗
DOE OSTI2026

Understanding the Role of Extrinsic Impurities in Bulk Nb SRF Cavities

High gradient and high quality factor superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities are essential for efficient particle acceleration in next-generation accelerators. This work demonstrates that the superconducting performance of bulk niobium can be enhanced through a controlled introduction of interstitial oxygen and nitrogen. Thermal and chemical surface treatments modify the concentration and distribution of these impurities, enabling systematic tuning of SRF cavity performance. By combining cavity RF measurements with quantitative materials characterizations, we isolate the impact of impurity concentration on BCS surface resistance and identify the mechanisms by which interstitial impurities alter the superconducting properties of niobium. We find that nitrogen is an order of magnitude more effective than oxygen in reducing BCS resistance at 16 MV/m and that the reduction arises from a combination of mean free path optimization and superconducting gap enhancement. Using these insights, we develop a predictive model that estimates cavity performance directly from room temperature sample material studies, reducing the reliance on full-scale cryogenic tests for surface treatment development. We then apply this model to explore co-doping strategies, demonstrating that combining interstitial oxygen and nitrogen achieves a synergistic reduction in BCS resistance. These results establish co-doping as a viable path for the development of surface-engineered niobium for future high quality factor SRF applications.

Hu, Hannah [Chicago U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Transition-state lattice modes and the breakdown of adiabatic tunneling for hydrogen and deuterium in bcc Nb

Interstitial hydrogen and deuterium in body-centered-cubic metals constitute archetypal quantum tunneling systems. Their relevance has been renewed by the connection between hydrogenic tunneling in Nb and defect-induced decoherence in superconducting qubits, motivating a predictive microscopic theory. Existing theoretical treatments invoke an adiabatic separation between the light interstitial and the host lattice, an assumption whose validity has not been rigorously established for hydrogenic species. Here, we show that the experimentally measured tunnel splittings of O-trapped H and D in bcc Nb are quantitatively reproduced only within a five-dimensional (5D) Lattice-Renormalized Born-Oppenheimer (LRBO) framework. This approach treats three interstitial modes and two judiciously selected lattice modes, which includes a transition-state mode, on equal quantum footing. By recasting nested Born-Oppenheimer hierarchies within this same formalism and benchmarking against modern \textit{ab initio} potential energy surfaces, we show that adiabatic separation of the light particle from lattice dynamics is satisfied only in the positive-muon ($μ^{+}$) mass limit. In contrast, tunneling for H and D is fundamentally a collective, nonadiabatic process mediated by anharmonic lattice couplings. Finally, we show that the breakdown of adiabaticity can be anticipated from simple energy estimates involving the ground-state light-particle energy evaluated at a small number of fixed lattice configurations, providing a practical criterion for assessing the validity of adiabatic tunneling theories in other systems.

Pritchard, P. Graham [Northwestern U.]↗
DOE OSTI2017

Thermal Evolution of the Proton Irradiated Structure in Tungsten–5 wt% Tantalum

We have monitored the thermal evolution of the proton irradiated structure of W–5 wt% Ta alloy by in-situ annealing in a transmission electron microscope at fusion reactor temperatures of 500–1300 °C. The interstitial-type a/2<111> dislocation loops emit self-interstitial atoms and glide to the free sample surface during the early stages of annealing. The resultant vacancy excess in the matrix originates vacancy-type a/2<111> dislocation loops that grow by loop and vacancy absorption in the temperature range of 600–900 °C. Voids form at 1000 °C, by either vacancy absorption or loop collapse, and grow progressively up to 1300 °C. Tantalum delays void formation by a vacancy-solute trapping mechanism.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effects of Ag Doping and Point Defect on the Magnetism of ZnO

The magnetism sources and magnetic mechanism of Ag doping and point defect, which coexist in the presence of ZnO, are frequently controversial. To solve these problems, the effects of Ag doping and Zn or O vacancy on the magnetism of ZnO were investigated using geometry optimization and energy calculation according to the first-principles generalized gradient approximation + U (GGA+U) method of density functional theory. Results revealed that the system which Ag doping and Zn vacancy coexists in ZnO could achieve room-temperature ferromagnetism. This system had an extremely high spin polarization, which was advantageous for the spin electron injection sources applied in dilute magnetic semiconductors. Result also revealed that the magnetism of Zn{sub 14}AgO{sub 16} was caused by the electron hybrid coupling effects among the O-2p, Ag-4d, Ag-5s, and Zn-4s orbits. And these effects were produced by the hole carriers after complexes were formed by the Ag doping and Zn vacancy. With regard to the most stable structure of the ground state, all doping systems which Ag replacing Zn and O vacancy coexisted in ZnO and those which Ag replacing Zn, interstitial Ag, and O vacancy coexisted in ZnO were all non-magnetic. Thus, these doping systems were unsuitable for dilute magnetic semiconductors. By contrast, the doping systems of interstitial Ag and Zn vacancy were magnetic, although the magnetism was relatively weak, thus rendering such systems inapplicable as well.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Modeling and Simulation of Porosity in Spray Deposition

Numerical models, consisting of interstitial porosity model and gas porosity model, have been developed to predict the porosity in the spray deposition process. The interstitial porosity model is based on the assumption of liquid feeding in the porous mushy layer of the deposit. The porosity fraction is related to the particle packing density and the amount of the feeding flow during solidification. The gas porosity model is based on the diffusion kinetics of gas pore formation. A numerical simulation of spray deposition for a billet was carried out by coupling the porosity model with the shape and heat-transfer models. The volume fraction and distribution of the porosity were investigated. As a result of the experimental verification, the simulation results showed good agreement with the experimental data. As applications, the models were used to investigate the influence of spray process parameters on porosity formation. The investigation demonstrated that the porosity is substantially influenced by the temperature of the impinging layer and the preheating of the substrate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

MUC1/KL-6 expression confers an aggressive phenotype upon myeloma cells

Highlights: • EMM cell line was established from a patient with serum KL-6 elevation. • EMM1 is the first myeloma cell line that expresses high levels of MUC1. • Knockdown of MUC1 induces S phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in EMM1 cells. • Xenograft mice with EMM1 cells reproduce the MM patient with serum KL-6 elevation. • Knockdown of MUC1 inhibits EMM1 tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model. The sialic glycoprotein, MUC1, is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of various types of cancers. KL-6 is one of the surface antigens of MUC1 and also a marker of interstitial pneumonitis. A fraction of patients with myeloma (3.9%) have elevated serum KL-6 levels without any evidence of interstitial pneumonitis and their myeloma cells have high MUC1 expression. We established a myeloma cell line designated EMM1 from a patient with multiple myeloma accompanied with elevated serum KL-6. EMM1 cells expressed high levels of MUC1 compared with other myeloma cell lines. Knockdown of MUC1 in EMM1 cells induced cell cycle arrest during S phase and apoptosis, suggesting that the MUC1 expression is involved in accelerated growth of EMM1 cells. RNA-seq analysis suggests that MUC1 expression activates k-ras and TNFα-induced NFκB pathways in EMM1 cells. We injected EMM1 cells subcutaneously into Rag2{sup −/−}Jak3{sup −/−} Balb/c mice to establish a mouse xenograft model. These mice had aggressive tumor growth that was accompanied by high serum KL-6 levels. In addition, MUC1 knockdown in EMM1 cells led to inhibited tumor growth. These findings demonstrate that MUC1 serves as a potential target for developing drugs for treatment of patients with KL-6{sup +} myeloma, and EMM1 cells and EMM1-engrafted mice are useful tools for the development of such novel agents.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Catalytic influence of light element incorporation in the lattice of palladium

The alloying of metals with foreign elements is a common approach for manipulating catalytic properties of active sites. For palladium-based catalysts, incorporation of light elements receives far less attention than Pd-metal alloys even though incorporated light element are catalytically significant. Due to their small size, light elements (H, B, C, and O) can occupy octahedral sites in Pd to form an interstitial phase, while palladium adjusts its lattice to accommodate the incorporation of larger light elements (S and P) to form distinct phases. The incorporated light element modifies the electronic structure of palladium, influencing the binding energy of substrates and reactive intermediates. Pd hydride and oxide often form in situ during hydrogenation or oxidation reactions, respectively, representing the (more, less) active phase of the catalyst. Further, the reactive interstitial hydrogen dissolved in Pd tends to hydrogenate reactants completely and unselectively. Pd oxide can be the active phase for oxidation reactions, and the incorporated oxygen or oxygen vacancies may participate in the reaction directly. Incorporated light elements change geometric aspects of Pd ensembles, serving the role of site blocking, ensemble isolation, or serve as an additional active site, endowing Pd with bifunctional character. We review the synthetic approaches for incorporating light elements into the palladium lattice. We summarize the catalytic influence of light element incorporation into the palladium lattice with respect to electronic and geometric modification, in situ incorporated hydrogen and oxygen, and discuss the influence of light element incorporation into Pd on specific reactions (i.e., selective hydrogenation, oxidation, electrocatalysis, and C—C cross coupling).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Defect structures induced by high-energy displacement cascades in γ uranium

Displacement cascade simulations were conducted for the c uranium system based on molecular dynamics. A recently developed modified embedded atom method (MEAM) potential was employed to replicate the atomic interactions while an embedded atom method (EAM) potential was adopted to help characterize the defect structures induced by the displacement cascades. The atomic displacement process was studied by providing primary knock-on atoms (PKAs) with kinetic energies from 1 keV to 50 keV. The influence of the PKA incident direction was examined. The defect structures were analyzed after the systems were fully relaxed. The states of the self-interstitial atoms (SIAs) were categorized into various types of dumbbells, the crowdion, and the octahedral interstitial. The voids were determined to have a polyhedral shape with {110} facets. The size distribution of the voids was also obtained. The results of this study not only expand the knowledge of the microstructural evolution in irradiated c uranium, but also provide valuable references for the radiation-induced defects in uranium alloy fuels.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Radiation response of alloy T91 at damage levels up to 1000 peak dpa

Ferritic/martensitic alloys are required for advanced reactor components to survive 500e600 neutroninduced dpa. Ion-induced void swelling of ferritic/martensitic alloy T91 in the quenched and tempered condition has been studied using a defocused, non-rastered 3.5 MeV Fe-ion beam at 475 C to produce damage levels up to 1000 peak displacements per atom (dpa). The high peak damage level of 1000 dpa is required to reach 500e600 dpa level due to injected interstitial suppression of void nucleation in the peak dpa region, requiring data extraction closer to the surface at lower dpa levels. At a relatively low peak damage level of 250 dpa, voids began to develop, appearing first in the near-surface region. With increasing ion fluence, swelling was observed deeper in the specimen, but remained completely suppressed in the back half of the ion range, even at 1000 peak dpa. The local differences in dpa rate in the front half of the ion range induce an “internal temperature shift” that strongly influences the onset of swelling, with shorter transient regimes resulting from lower dpa rates, in agreement not only with observations in neutron irradiation studies but also in various ion irradiations. Swelling was accompanied by radiation-induced precipitation of Cu-rich and Si, Ni, Mn-rich phases were observed by atom probe tomography, indicating concurrent microchemical evolution was in progress. In comparison to other ferritic/martensitic alloys during ion irradiation, T91 exhibits good swelling resistance with a swelling incubation period of about 400 local dpa.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evolution of dislocation loops and voids in post-irradiation annealed ThO 2 : A combined in-situ TEM and cluster dynamics investigation

The effect of isochronal annealing on the evolution of dislocation loop and void population in proton irradiated ThO 2 has been investigated. Post-irradiation annealing in other actinide oxides like UO 2 shows significant loop coarsening. ThO 2 samples were irradiated with 2 MeV protons up to a dose of 0.1 dpa at 600°C. Post-irradiation isochronal annealing was performed at 600, 800, 1000 and 1100°C for 1 h at each temperature using in-situ TEM. Only faulted 1/3<111> type dislocation loops were observed, and their sizes and distribution were characterized. Further, the population of self-interstitial atom (SIA) dislocation loops did not show any significant growth and coarsening. Additionally, nanometric voids were observed at annealing temperatures of 1000 and 1100°C. Using cluster dynamics (CD), we have studied the nucleation and growth of point defects and defect clusters, i.e., SIA prismatic dislocation loops and nanometric and sub-nanometric voids in proton irradiated ThO 2 . The CD model was further utilized to predict the growth and coarsening of loops and voids during isochronal annealing at the experimental and higher temperatures. The model did not predict significant SIA loop growth which closely corresponds to the TEM observations. CD predicted SIA loop coarsening is insignificant even at high annealing temperature of 1500°C because the model only considers the growth of defect clusters by absorption of like point defects, i.e., SIA loops absorb interstitials and voids absorb vacancies, and cannot account for their migration and coalescence due to elastic interaction. The CD model also predicts the evolution of nanometric voids having mean size within the error bounds of TEM observations.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Insights into radiation resistance of titanium alloys from displacement cascade simulations

Radiation damage in beam window materials limits the use of high power proton beams in high energy physics research. The alloy Ti-6Al-4V is presently used as a beam window material but a prospective alternative, Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al has been proposed. Since both these alloys contain dual phases at room temperature, we compare the radiation damage in the α and ß-phases of these two materials via primary knock-on atom (PKA) cascade simulations in the 10-40keV energy range. At PKA energies 30 and 40keV, the number of Frenkel pairs in the ballistic stage is higher in the ß-phase of Ti-6Al-4V than that in the ß-phase of Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al almost by a factor of 2. The α-phase, of both these alloys, by far outperforms the ß-phases of the two alloys, both in terms of damage during the ballistic stage and in terms of the surviving defects. The average displacement threshold energy (E d ) in the α-phase of both alloys was found to be 66eV while that in the ß-phase of Ti-15-3 was 55 eV and in the ß-phase of Ti-6-4 was 46. Further, while the number of surviving defects is almost equal in both alloys, the vacancy and interstitial clustering mechanisms differ notably, which can impact the degree of radiation hardening and loss of ductility. Our simulations show larger vacancy and interstitial clusters form in Ti-6Al-4V as compared to that in Ti-15-3-3-3 alloy. These results indicate that Ti-15-3-3-3 alloys may be a promising candidate for next generation beam window material with a higher radiation tolerance than the existing Ti-6-4 alloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Microstructural and microchemical studies of phase stability in V-O solid solution

Over the last couple of decades vanadium and V-based alloys have received significant attention as a potential structural material for fusion power applications because of their favourable mechanical properties under irradiation and at elevated temperatures. They are also considered as the advanced options of storage materials for hydrogen and its isotopes. However, the higher affinity of V for O, C and N poses critical challenges in its engineering applications since they lead to degradation of mechanical properties. They can further interact with the matrix to produce metallic oxy-carbo-nitride precipitates. To a certain limit, these precipitates are beneficial and can be exploited to enhance the mechanical behaviour of the alloy through suitable microstructural design. However, this requires a prior knowledge of the interaction between the alloy and the impurity solutes. In the present work vanadium specific experiments have been designed and carried out to bring out the V-interstitial solute interaction by charging oxygen in the near surface region of vanadium. Microstructural and microchemical behaviour of the V-O solid solution has been studied through HRTEM (high resolution transmission electron microscopy) and HAADF (high angle annular dark field) coupled with EELS. Quantitative electron microscopy has been carried out to study structural modification of the alloy in atomic level caused by O charging. - Highlights: •Controlled experiments were carried out in pulsed laser ablation set-up to promote V-O interaction. • As a consequence of O dissolution, V transformed into a bct structure which is otherwise a bcc structure. •In V-O solid solution, dissolved O in the V matrix introduces significant amount of lattice strain. • Present work can be extended for introducing interstitial O in other pure transition metals and their alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Formation of Fe2Al5-xZnx intermetallic crystals at the Fe-Zn interface in hot-dip galvanizing

Highlights: • Interstitial-free steels were galvanized in Zn baths containing 0.14-0.28 wt% Al. • The Fe-Al layer formed in a 0.14 wt% Al bath is composed of equiaxed Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5-x}Zn{sub x} crystals without preferred orientations. • The layers formed in baths containing 0.18 wt% Al or more are composed of orientated domains. • Each domain contains 4-12 Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5-x}Zn{sub x} crystal variants of specific orientations. • A layer of a single variant crystal can grow epitaxially on the α-Fe grains as the Al content reaches 0.28 wt%. - Abstract: The formation of Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5-x}Zn{sub x} inhibition layer at the Fe-Zn interface has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy/electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy for interstitial-free steels galvanized in Zn baths containing 0.14–0.28 wt% Al. The inhibition layer formed in the 0.14 wt% Al bath is composed of fine, equiaxed Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5-x}Zn{sub x} crystals without preferred orientations. The inhibition layers formed in the baths containing 0.18 wt% Al or more are composed of orientated domains and each domain contains 4–12 Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5-x}Zn{sub x} crystal variants of specific orientations. All the variants follow the same Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5-x}Zn{sub x}/Fe orientation relationship of [110]{sub Fe2Al5-xZnx}//[1 1-bar 1]{sub Fe} and (001){sub Fe2Al5-xZnx}//(110){sub Fe}. Therefore, each domain is formed on a single α-Fe grain and the number of variants in the domain is determined by the orientation of the α-Fe grain. The fraction of the area of epitaxial growth increases with increasing Al content in bath. When the Al content reaches 0.28 wt%, a layer of a single variant (SV) crystal can grow epitaxially on the α-Fe grains having orientations distributed from <110> to <113> parallel to the normal direction of the sheet surface. The formation of a dense SV inhibition layer is the major reason for the drastic reductions in both the Al-pickup rate and the inhibition layer thickness at high Al content baths.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Controlling the size and optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles by capping with SiO{sub 2}

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Small and uniform sized ZnO nanoparticles were obtained with SiO{sub 2} coating. • ZnO and ZnO–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite exhibited excitation wavelength dependent PL. • Maximum UV emission intensity was obtained with 353 nm excitation wavelength. • Excitation processes in SiO{sub 2} were also contributed to the UV intensity. • It was found that oxygen vacancies and interstitials enhanced with SiO{sub 2} coating. - Abstract: The size and shape of the ZnO nanoparticles synthesized through sol–gel method were controlled by capping with SiO{sub 2}. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM) results demonstrated that the particle growth of the ZnO nanoparticles has been restricted to 5 nm with SiO{sub 2} capping. As a result, the absorption spectra of ZnO nanoparticles capped with SiO{sub 2} got blue shifted (toward lower wavelength side) due to strong quantum confinement effects. BET (Brunauer–Emmet–Teller) surface area pore size analyzer results showed that surface area of samples increased monotonously with increase of SiO{sub 2} concentration. It was observed that the absorption spectra of ZnO capped with SiO{sub 2} broadened with increase of SiO{sub 2} concentration. Absorption and photoluminescence excitation results (PLE) confirmed that this broadening is due to the absorption of non-bridging oxygen hole centers (NBOHC) of SiO{sub 2}. These results also indicated that ZnO nanoparticles capped with SiO{sub 2} are insensitive to Raman scattering. Maximum UV emission intensity was achieved with 353 nm excitation wavelength compared to 320 nm in ZnO as well as in SiO{sub 2} capped ZnO nanoparticles. Furthermore, there is an enhancement in the intensities of emission peaks related to oxygen vacancies and interstitials with SiO{sub 2} capping. The enhancement in the UV intensity is attributed to the surface passivation of ZnO nanoparticles and excitation processes in SiO{sub 2}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Influence of nitrogen content levels on structural properties and photocatalytic activities of nanorice-like N-doped TiO2 with various calcination temperatures

Highlights: • Hydrothermal method enhances the integration of N species into TiO{sub 2}. • TiO{sub 2} doping with nitrogen prevents the phase transformation from anatase to rutile. • The N-doped TiO{sub 2} exhibits nanorice-like morphology. • Nitrogen atom incorporates into the lattice of TiO{sub 2} with interstitial site (TiON). • Nitrogen doping content in TiO{sub 2} accelerates the kinetic rate of photocatalytic reaction. - Abstract: The purposes of this research were to study the effect of nitrogen content levels on structural properties and photocatalytic activities of catalysts with various calcination temperatures and to test the photocatalytic degradation of paraquat under UV and visible light. The results showed that the effect of calcination temperature was significant on physical properties and amount of nitrogen element, but insignificant on phase structure and oxidation state of titanium (Ti) atom. The N-doped TiO2 samples demonstrated only anatase phase because nitrogen dopant in TiO2 restrained the phase transformation from anatase to rutile and displayed nanorice-like morphology. The bandgap energy was about 3.07–3.18 eV. The nitrogen content was only observed at 100, 300 and 400 °C. The nitrogen (N) atom can be incorporated in TiO2 structural lattice with interstitial site. The specific surface area and nitrogen content level showed the important roles for the photodegradation of paraquat under UV and visible light irradiation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nitrogen effects on radiation response in 12Cr ferritic/martensitic alloys

Ferritic/martensitic steels are one of the best candidates for structural materials for high dose applications in next generation nuclear reactors. The composition of structural materials must be optimized for reliable service during irradiation. This study reports the effect of interstitial nitrogen on radiation response in 12Cr ferritic/martensitic HT9 steels having a controlled nitrogen concentration. Results show that a high amount of ‘free’ nitrogen in the matrix stabilizes the interstitial clusters which leads to (i) larger loop sizes (ii) lower loop density and (iii) slightly reduced radiation induced hardening. It also affects diffusion mechanism of Ni and formation of Ni/Si-rich precipitates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗