Nuclear Energy and Technology (Mar 2016)

Radiation-induced nanostructuring of the amorphous alloy

  • I.A. Antoshina,
  • R.K. Visheratin,
  • G.N. Yelmanov,
  • V.A. Stepanov

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucet.2016.03.010
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2, no. 1
pp. 50 – 53

Abstract

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Structural changes in the metallic glass CoFe3.2Si2.5Mn3.1B15.7, following the irradiation by Ar+ ions with the energy 30keV at temperatures of 100–300°C and post-irradiation annealing to a temperature of 600°C, were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, atomic probe microscopy and electron microscopy techniques. It has been shown that irradiation at lower temperatures than the crystallization temperatures (430 and 548°C) leads to the nanostructuring of metallic glass. The nanostructure consists of clusters sized 20–40nm grouping together to form grains sized 100–150nm. The nanostructure results from a heavy plastic deformation caused by ion irradiation and extends to a depth of tens of microns, much deeper than the projective ion range. The crystallization heat of this glass increases by 30% as compared to the crystallization heat of the initial non-irradiated glass. The radiation-induced formation of nanostructures is accompanied by the segregation within the glass of the metastable boride (Со3В) particles which disappear with an exothermic effect after post-irradiation annealing with return to the X-ray amorphous state.

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