Effect of heavy ion irradiation on thermodynamically equilibrium Zr-Excel alloy

Abstract The thermodynamically equilibrium state was achieved in a Zr-Sn-Nb-Mo alloy by long-term annealing at an intermediate temperature. The fcc intermetallic Zr(Mo, Nb) 2 enriched with Fe was observed at the equilibrium state. In-situ 1 MeV Kr 2+ heavy ion irradiation was performed in a TEM to study the stability of the intermetallic particles under irradiation and the effects of the intermetallic particle on the evolution of type dislocation loops at different temperatures from 80 to 550 °C. Chemi-STEM elemental maps were made at the same particles before and after irradiation up to 10 dpa. It was found that no elemental redistribution occurs at 200 °C and below. Selective depletion of Fe was observed from some precipitates under irradiation at higher temperatures. No change in the morphology of particles and no evidence showing a crystalline to amorphous transformation were observed at all irradiation temperatures. The formation of type dislocation loops was observed under irradiation at 80 and 200 °C, but not at 450 and 550 °C. The loops were non-uniformly distributed; a localized high density of type dislocation loops were observed near the second phase particles; we suggest that loop nucleation is favored as a result of the stress induced by the particles, rather than by elemental redistribution. The stability of the second phase particles and the formation of the type loops under heavy ion irradiation are discussed.