Invited Paper AS+NS+SS+TF-WeA1
From Atomic Scale to Materials Behavior: Using Atom-Probe Tomography to Understand the Behavior of Alloys and Ceramics

Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 2:00 pm, Room 20

The ability to improve the performance of functional materials is driven by how well microstructure can be understood and controlled. The three-dimensional distribution of solutes, dopants or impurities in particular, in relation to structural features determines such properties as fracture toughness, strength, ductility, as well as electrical and magnetic response. After a brief introduction to atom-probe tomography, I will illustrate how high resolution characterization approaches can be used systematically to understand the atomic scale processes controlling materials microstructures and their evolution, focusing on alloys and ceramic systems. Several topics will be presented: precipitation and coarsening behavior of Al-based alloys, grain boundary chemistry and role of impurities during irradiation in ferritic steels which may play an important role in fracture and corrosion resistance, the development of oxide-dispersion strengthened steels for structural applications in future nuclear reactors and the role of minor elements in controlling the oxidation behavior of Ni-base alloys for high temperature power generation applications.