Radiation effects in bulk nanocrystalline FeAl alloy

Abstract

Bulk-ordered nanocrystalline FeAl intermetallic compound with a grain size of 35 nm was prepared using severe plastic deformation. Nanocrystalline and coarse-grained counterparts with a grain size of 160 nm were subjected to 1.5 MeV Ar⁺ ion irradiation at room temperature. Enhanced irradiation resistance of nanocrystalline FeAl has clearly been identified by means of grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. At the identical damage dose, the nanocrystalline FeAl retains long-range ordering in the B2-superlattice structure, while the coarse-grained state becomes already substantially disordered. The present experimental studies verify that fully dense ordered intermetallic alloys are promising candidate materials for radiation environments.

Keywords:

• radiation damage
• nanocrystalline materials
• X-ray diffraction
• Mössbauer spectroscopy

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge support for these studies from the Helmholtz Research Programme NANOMICRO, A.K. is indebted to the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres for the personal fellowship grant.