In Situ TEM Study of Microstructure Evolution of Zr-Nb-Fe Alloy Irradiated by 800 keV Kr(2+) Ions

The microstructure evolution of Zr-1.1Nb-1.51Fe-0.26Cu-0.72Ni zirconium alloy, irradiated by 800 keV Kr(2+) ions at 585 K using the IVEM-Tandem Facility at Argonne National Laboratory, was observed by in situ transmission electron microscopy. A number of β-Nb precipitates with a body-centered cubic (BCC) structure were distributed in the as-received zirconium alloy with micrometer-size grains. Kr(2+) ion irradiation induced the growth of β-Nb precipitates, which could be attributed to the segregation of the dissolved niobium atoms in the zirconium lattice and the migration to the existing precipitates. The size of precipitates was increased with increasing Kr(2+) ion fluence. During Kr(2+) iron irradiation, the zirconium crystals without Nb precipitates tended to transform to the nanocrystals, which was not observed in the zirconium crystals with Nb nanoparticles. The existing Nb nanoparticles were the key factor that constrained the nanocrystallization of zirconium crystals. The thickness of the formed Zr-nanocrystal layer was about 300 nm, which was consistent with the depth of Kr(2+) iron irradiation. The mechanism of the precipitate growth and the formation of zirconium nanocrystal was analyzed and discussed.