Nanostructuring of Cu-TiB2 induced by ion irradiation

The stability of materials under irradiation is a critical topic and has been an area of fundamental interest in particular for materials used in nuclear reactors. These dissipative systems which exist far from equilibrium pose a challenge in understanding due to the existence of multiple dynamical processes, which are often competing. Recent modeling and experimental results of Cu-base alloys indicate that these dynamical processes can lead to nanostructuring in binary alloy system. Nanostructuring at steady state under irradiation could result in materials with very high irradiation resistance as interfaces can trap point defects and He atoms. The objective of this work was to study whether nanostructuring could also take place in multicomponent systems, possible involving the precipitation of compounds. The Cu-TiB2 alloy system was selected and microstructural evolutions induced by 1.8 MeV Kr ion irradiation with varying fluence and wide range of temperatures were investigated. An additional objective was to identify the mode of formation of these nanostructures. Homogeneous co-sputtered Cu-TiB2 films as well as Cu/TiB2 multilayers were grown by physical vapor deposition as starting materials. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that irradiation of initially homogeneous films led to the nanoscale precipitation of second phase TiB2 particles, with an average diameter of 5 nm. This nanostructuring reached similar steady states for irradiation temperatures ranging from room temperature to 650 °C. It is thus concluded that this nanoprecipitation takes place in displacement cascades.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Materials Science & Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Lokesh, Rannesh

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bellon, Pascal
• Averback, Robert S.

• Copper alloys
• nanostructure
• transmission electron microscopy
• precipitation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Rannesh Lokesh

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/24007

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/24007