| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Applied Surface Science Division | Wednesday Sessions |
| Session AS+2D+NS+SA-WeA |
| Session: | 2D, 3D and nD Imaging of Surfaces, Buried Interfaces and Nanostructures |
| Presenter: | Karen Kruska, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
| Authors: | K. Kruska, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory D.K. Schreiber, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory D.J. Edwards, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Z. Zhai, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory M.J. Olszta, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory I. Arslan, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory M.A. Conroy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory C. Wang, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory R.J. Kurtz, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory S.M. Bruemmer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
There is an increasing demand for characterization of materials for nuclear reactors with advanced microscopy techniques. Intelligent materials selection requires a fundamental mechanistic understanding of environmental and irradiation damage processes at the nanoscale.
Current and future nuclear power generating systems require materials that can withstand extreme environments. Long-term resistance to environmental degradation is critical for light water reactors as evidenced by stress corrosion cracking concerns in structural alloys for both primary and secondary systems. Resistance to radiation damage further challenges material selection in current and advanced reactors with unique issues for plasma facing components in tokamak-style fusion energy systems where materials must tolerate extended neutron (14 MeV) and He+ ion (3.5 MeV) irradiation at extreme temperatures (up to 1300 K). Accumulation of metallic fission products in LWR fuels may cause cracking and has been linked to cladding erosion.
2D analytical electron microscopy techniques have and continue to provide key insights into the evolution of local microstructure and chemistry. More recently, these traditional 2D imaging techniques have been complemented by novel 3D imaging methods, including serial sectioning using a focused ion beam, electron tomography and atom probe tomography. When paired with 2D imaging methods, the 3D microscopy provides deeper insights into the hierarchy of the degradation and damage processes, improved statistical relevance and a greater sensitivity to highly localized effects that were not apparent from 2D imaging alone. Going one step further, dynamic processes (such as oxidation and vacancy injection) can be directly imaged by in situ and operando techniques in transmission electron microscopy. Each technique has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, and in this talk we will emphasize how combining these complementary techniques provides a more comprehensive understanding of material degradation than could be obtained from any individual imaging method.