AEM and HRTEM Analysis of the Metal-Oxide Interface of Zircaloy-4, Prepared by FIB

Abstract The understanding of the mechanism of oxidation of Zircaloy materials provides an important support for the corrosion control of the fuel claddings in the light water nuclear reactors. Many investigations are devoted to the study of the oxidation of these materials. One of the important aspects of these studies, is the analysis of the metal-oxide interface, which produces information about the nature of the oxide formed at the interface, at different stages of oxidation and the influence of the oxide structure and morphology on the formation and growth of the oxide. In the present study, analytical electron microscopy (AEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) are used to examine the metal-oxide interface of an un-irradiated Zircaloy-4 material, oxidized in autoclave, under pressurized water reactor conditions. The TEM specimen preparation for the interface analysis is an important step of the investigation, since the transverse section required for such observation should be sufficiently thin exactly at the position of the interface.