High temperature, low neutron cross-section high-entropy alloys in the Nb-Ti-V-Zr system
File(s)King_2019_Nb-Ti-V-Zr_prepublication.pdf (1.27 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) with high melting points and low thermal neutron cross-section are promising new cladding materials for generation III+ and IV power reactors. In this study a recently developed high throughput computational screening tool Alloy Search and Predict (ASAP) has been used to identify the most likely candidate single-phase HEAs with low thermal neutron cross-section, from over a million four-element equimolar combinations. The selected NbTiVZr HEA was further studied by density functional theory (DFT) for moduli and lattice parameter, and by CALPHAD to predict phase formation with temperature. HEAs of NbTiVZrx (x = 0.5, 1, 2) were produced experimentally, with Zr varied as the dominant cross-section modifier. Contrary to previous experimental work, these HEAs were demonstrated to constitute a single-phase HEA system; a result obtained using a faster cooling rate following annealing at 1200 °C. However, the beta (BCC) matrix decomposed following aging at 700 °C, into a combination of nano-scale beta, alpha (HCP) and C15 Laves phases.
Date Issued
2019-03
Date Acceptance
2019-01-05
Citation
Acta Materialia, 2019, 166, pp.435-446
ISSN
1359-6454
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
435
End Page
446
Journal / Book Title
Acta Materialia
Volume
166
Copyright Statement
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Sponsor
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Grant Number
2015047
Subjects
0912 Materials Engineering
0913 Mechanical Engineering
Materials
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-01-08