Crystallographic and Thermodynamic Insights into Preferential Hydride Precipitation Sites in Zr-2.5Nb Alloy

IF 2.8 2区工程技术 Q3 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Nuclear Materials Pub Date : 2025-03-13 DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.155752

Haoyu Zhai , Xiaoqing Shang , Minglang Li , Hao Lin , Ling Li , Yibin Tang , Shengyi Zhong

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The Zr-2.5Nb alloy, widely used in nuclear applications, exhibits significant susceptibility to hydrogen-induced embrittlement due to hydride precipitation. This study investigates the preferential sites and mechanisms of hydride precipitation in Zr-2.5Nb alloys using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results show a predominance of intergranular hydrides, with grain boundaries (GBs) serving as the primary nucleation sites. Misorientation and GB energy exhibited a weak influence on intergranular hydride precipitation, while the interaction angle between basal planes and GBs (

α_{G B - B P}

) was found to determine hydride precipitation behavior. A modified thermodynamic model was developed to elucidate the interplay between GB energy,

α_{G B - B P}

, and hydride precipitation. Additionally, the lamellar β-Zr phase at GBs promotes hydride formation, which largely explains the weak correlation observed between misorientation and intergranular hydride precipitation. These findings provide insights into mitigating hydride-induced degradation in Zr alloys for enhanced performance in nuclear environments.

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Zr-2.5Nb合金中优先氢化物析出位点的结晶学和热力学研究

广泛应用于核能领域的Zr-2.5Nb合金，由于氢化物的析出，极易发生氢致脆。利用电子背散射衍射（EBSD）和透射电镜（TEM）研究了Zr-2.5Nb合金中氢化物析出的优先位点和机制。结果表明，晶间氢化物占主导地位，晶界（GBs）是主要的成核位点。取向错误和GB能对晶间氢化物的析出影响较弱，而基面与GB的相互作用角（αGB−BP）决定了氢化物的析出行为。建立了一个改进的热力学模型来解释GB能、αGB−BP和氢化物析出之间的相互作用。此外，GBs层状β-Zr相促进了氢化物的形成，这在很大程度上解释了取向错误与晶间氢化物析出之间的弱相关性。这些发现为减轻Zr合金中氢化物引起的降解以增强核环境中的性能提供了见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Nuclear Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

25.80%

发文量

601

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Nuclear Materials publishes high quality papers in materials research for nuclear applications, primarily fission reactors, fusion reactors, and similar environments including radiation areas of charged particle accelerators. Both original research and critical review papers covering experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either fundamental or applied nature are welcome. The breadth of the field is such that a wide range of processes and properties in the field of materials science and engineering is of interest to the readership, spanning atom-scale processes, microstructures, thermodynamics, mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion, for example. Topics covered by JNM Fission reactor materials, including fuels, cladding, core structures, pressure vessels, coolant interactions with materials, moderator and control components, fission product behavior. Materials aspects of the entire fuel cycle. Materials aspects of the actinides and their compounds. Performance of nuclear waste materials; materials aspects of the immobilization of wastes. Fusion reactor materials, including first walls, blankets, insulators and magnets. Neutron and charged particle radiation effects in materials, including defects, transmutations, microstructures, phase changes and macroscopic properties. Interaction of plasmas, ion beams, electron beams and electromagnetic radiation with materials relevant to nuclear systems.