Atomic origins of radiation-induced defects and the role of lamellar interfaces in radiation damage of titanium aluminide alloy irradiated with Kr-ions at elevated temperature

HL Zhu and MJ Qin and R Aughterson and T Wei and G Lumpkin and Y Ma and HJ Li, ACTA MATERIALIA, 172, 72-83 (2019).

DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2019.04.043

The irradiation microstructure of a titanium aluminide (TiAl) alloy subjected to in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) irradiation with 1 MeV Kr ions at the elevated temperature of 873 K was investigated. Triangle and large hexagon shaped volume defects were observed within the gamma-TiAl phase in the TEM images of the irradiated microstructure. High resolution TEM images and composition analyses revealed that the volume defects were vacancy-type stacking fault tetrahedra (SFTs). Molecular dynamic simulations showed that the increased diffusion coefficient at the elevated temperature promoted the movement and aggregation of vacancies, leading to the formation and growth of SFTs in the irradiated FCC gamma phase. The lamellar interfaces in the irradiation microstructure were more effective for acting as strong sinks to absorb the primary point defects and defect clusters at the elevated temperature. The initial defects at the interfaces of the TiAl alloy enhanced the sink strength of the material and played an important role in refining SFTs near the lamellar interfaces. (C) 2019 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Return to Publications page