Nodular corrosion of zirconium alloys in gaseous environment containing different contaminants

2020 ◽  
pp. 152640
Author(s):  
Sai Karthik Nouduru ◽  
Kiran K. Mandapaka ◽  
S. Roychowdhury ◽  
Saradhi Gumma ◽  
Rishi Sharma ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Klaus-Ruediger Peters

Only recently it became possible to expand scanning electron microscopy to low vacuum and atmospheric pressure through the introduction of several new technologies. In principle, only the specimen is provided with a controlled gaseous environment while the optical microscope column is kept at high vacuum. In the specimen chamber, the gas can generate new interactions with i) the probe electrons, ii) the specimen surface, and iii) the specimen-specific signal electrons. The results of these interactions yield new information about specimen surfaces not accessible to conventional high vacuum SEM. Several microscope types are available differing from each other by the maximum available gas pressure and the types of signals which can be used for investigation of specimen properties.Electrical non-conductors can be easily imaged despite charge accumulations at and beneath their surface. At high gas pressures between 10-2 and 2 torr, gas molecules are ionized in the electrical field between the specimen surface and the surrounding microscope parts through signal electrons and, to a certain extent, probe electrons. The gas provides a stable ion flux for a surface charge equalization if sufficient gas ions are provided.


Author(s):  
S.A. Wight

Measurements of electrons striking the sample in the Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) are needed to begin to understand the effect of the presence of the gas on analytical measurements. Accurate beam current is important to x-ray microanalysis and it is typically measured with a faraday cup. A faraday cup (Figure 1) was constructed from a carbon block embedded in non-conductive epoxy with a 45 micrometer bore platinum aperture over the hole. Currents were measured with an electrometer and recorded as instrument parameters were varied.Instrument parameters investigated included working distance, chamber pressure, condenser percentage, and accelerating voltage. The conditions studied were low vacuum with gaseous secondary electron detector (GSED) voltage on; low vacuum with GSED voltage off; and high vacuum (GSED off). The base conditions were 30 kV, 667 Pa (5 Torr) water vapor, 100,000x magnification with the beam centered inside aperture, GSED voltage at 370 VDC, condenser at 50%, and working distance at 19.5 mm. All modifications of instrument parameters were made from these conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (8) ◽  
pp. 32-37
Author(s):  
V. V. Larionov ◽  
Xu Shupeng ◽  
V. N. Kudiyarov

Nickel films formed on the surface of zirconium alloys are often used to protect materials against hydrogen penetration. Hydrogen adsorption on nickel is faster since the latter actively interacts with hydrogen, oxidizes and forms a protective film. The goal of the study is to develop a method providing control of hydrogen absorption by nickel films during vacuum-magnetron sputtering and hydrogenation via measuring thermoEMF. Zirconium alloy E110 was saturated from the gas phase with hydrogen at a temperature of 350°C and a pressure of 2 atm. A specialized Rainbow Spectrum unit was used for coating. It is shown that a nickel film present on the surface significantly affects the hydrogen penetration into the alloy. A coating with a thickness of more than 2 μm deposited by magnetron sputtering on the surface of a zirconium alloy with 1% Nb, almost completely protects the alloy against hydrogen penetration. The magnitude of thermoemf depends on the hydrogen concentration in the zirconium alloy and film thickness. An analysis of the hysteresis width of the thermoEMF temperature loop and a method for determining the effective activation energy of the conductivity of a hydrogenated material coated with a nickel film are presented. The results of the study can be used in assessing the hydrogen concentration and, hence, corrosion protection of the material.


2014 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 656-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Flores ◽  
A. G. Gomez ◽  
G. A. Juarez ◽  
N. Loureiro ◽  
R. I. Samper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Toan Nguyen ◽  
Alistair Garner ◽  
Javier Romero ◽  
Antoine Ambard ◽  
Michael Preuss ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
H. G. Spilker ◽  
Roman Bender
Keyword(s):  

1996 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 71-72
Author(s):  
F. Mantovani ◽  
W. Junor ◽  
M. Bondi ◽  
L. Padrielli ◽  
W. Cotton ◽  
...  

Recently we focussed our attention on a sample of Compact Steep-spectrum Sources (CSSs) selected because of the large bent radio jets seen in the inner region of emission. The largest distortions are often seen in sources dominated by jets, and there are suggestions that this might to some extent be due to projection effects. However, superluminal motion is rare in CSSs. The only case we know of so far is 3C147 (Alef at al. 1990) with a mildly superluminal speed of ≃ 1.3v/c. Moreover, the core fractional luminosity in CSSs is ≃ 3% and ≤ 0.4% for quasars and radio galaxies respectively. Similar values are found for large size radio sources i.e. both boosting and orientations in the sky are similar for the two classes of objects. An alternative possibility is that these bent-jet sources might also be brightened by interactions with the ambient media. There are clear indications that intrinsic distortions due to interactions with a dense inhomogeneous gaseous environment play an important role. Observational support comes from the large RMs found in CSSs (Taylor et al. 1992; Mantovani et al. 1994; Junor et al. these proc.) and often associated with strong depolarization (Garrington & Akujor, t.p.). The CSSs also have very luminous Narrow Line Regions emission, with exceptional velocity structure (Gelderman, t.p.).


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Jones ◽  
Vidur Tuli ◽  
Zaheen Shah ◽  
Mhairi Gass ◽  
Patrick A. Burr ◽  
...  

AbstractZirconium alloys are used in safety–critical roles in the nuclear industry and their degradation due to ingress of hydrogen in service is a concern. In this work experimental evidence, supported by density functional theory modelling, shows that the α-Zr matrix surrounding second phase particles acts as a trapping site for hydrogen, which has not been previously reported in zirconium. This is unaccounted for in current models of hydrogen behaviour in Zr alloys and as such could impact development of these models. Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 samples were corroded at 350 °C in simulated pressurised water reactor coolant before being isotopically spiked with 2H2O in a second autoclave step. The distribution of 2H, Fe and Cr was characterised using nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and high-resolution energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. 2H− was found to be concentrated around second phase particles in the α-Zr lattice with peak hydrogen isotope ratios of 2H/1H = 0.018–0.082. DFT modelling confirms that the hydrogen thermodynamically favours sitting in the surrounding zirconium matrix rather than within the second phase particles. Knowledge of this trapping mechanism will inform the development of current understanding of zirconium alloy degradation through-life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Massih ◽  
Lars O. Jernkvist

AbstractWe present a kinetic model for solid state phase transformation ($$\alpha \rightleftharpoons \beta$$ α ⇌ β ) of common zirconium alloys used as fuel cladding material in light water reactors. The model computes the relative amounts of $$\beta$$ β or $$\alpha$$ α phase fraction as a function of time or temperature in the alloys. The model accounts for the influence of excess oxygen (due to oxidation) and hydrogen concentration (due to hydrogen pickup) on phase transformation kinetics. Two variants of the model denoted by A and B are presented. Model A is suitable for simulation of laboratory experiments in which the heating/cooling rate is constant and is prescribed. Model B is more generic. We compare the results of our model computations, for both A and B variants, with accessible experimental data reported in the literature covering heating/cooling rates of up to 100 K/s. The results of our comparison are satisfactory, especially for model A. Our model B is intended for implementation in fuel rod behavior computer programs, applicable to a reactor accident situation, in which the Zr-based fuel cladding may go through $$\alpha \rightleftharpoons \beta$$ α ⇌ β phase transformation.


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