First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms

The clustering behavior of beryllium (Be) following plasma irradiation is of particular significance for molybdenum (Mo) in future fusion devices. Using first-principles calculations combined with thermodynamic models, the optimal configuration for Be clustering in Mo has been clearly determined, wi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aoyu Mo, Haijun Li, Fuquan Guo, Xiaowei Ma, Yunshan Xiong, Peng Shao, Bo Li, Kun Jie Yang, Yue-Lin Liu, Quan-Fu Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Nuclear Materials and Energy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352179125000900
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849736732070641664
author Aoyu Mo
Haijun Li
Fuquan Guo
Xiaowei Ma
Yunshan Xiong
Peng Shao
Bo Li
Kun Jie Yang
Yue-Lin Liu
Quan-Fu Han
author_facet Aoyu Mo
Haijun Li
Fuquan Guo
Xiaowei Ma
Yunshan Xiong
Peng Shao
Bo Li
Kun Jie Yang
Yue-Lin Liu
Quan-Fu Han
author_sort Aoyu Mo
collection DOAJ
description The clustering behavior of beryllium (Be) following plasma irradiation is of particular significance for molybdenum (Mo) in future fusion devices. Using first-principles calculations combined with thermodynamic models, the optimal configuration for Be clustering in Mo has been clearly determined, with a particular focus on the effects of vacancies and self-interstitials (SIAs). As the initial form of nucleation, the physical origin of Be-Be pair binding energy in Mo has been shown to be primarily dominated by the charge density at their location. Based on all of our computational results, a potential clustering mechanism for the formation of Be-rich regions in Mo is proposed: Be atoms first aggregate at interstitial sites, forming Ben clusters. When the number of Be atoms reaches six, they form an approximately “octahedral” structure, displacing a central Mo atom and generating a Be6V cluster and an SIA. They act as nucleation sites that continue to attract more Be atoms, growing into larger BenV and Ben-SIA clusters. As the Ben-SIA clusters expand, excess Be atoms displace more Mo atoms, creating additional SIAs and vacancies and further propagating the formation of Ben-SIA and BenV clusters. This cascading process ultimately results in the development of Be-rich regions within Mo. Our results provide significant data support for advancing Mo as a primary mirror material and also offer valuable theoretical insights into the aggregation behavior of impurities in metals under irradiation conditions.
format Article
id doaj-art-3e11a5bfaaa84445bd357ab73c69ceea
institution DOAJ
issn 2352-1791
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Nuclear Materials and Energy
spelling doaj-art-3e11a5bfaaa84445bd357ab73c69ceea2025-08-20T03:07:11ZengElsevierNuclear Materials and Energy2352-17912025-06-014310194810.1016/j.nme.2025.101948First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atomsAoyu Mo0Haijun Li1Fuquan Guo2Xiaowei Ma3Yunshan Xiong4Peng Shao5Bo Li6Kun Jie Yang7Yue-Lin Liu8Quan-Fu Han9College of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, ChinaCollege of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, ChinaCollege of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, ChinaCollege of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, ChinaCollege of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, ChinaCollege of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, ChinaCollege of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, ChinaCollege of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Corresponding authors.College of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Corresponding authors.College of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Special Metallic Materials for Nuclear Equipment, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Yantai Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Materials and Irradiation Technology, Yantai University, Yantai 264005 Shandong, China; Corresponding authors.The clustering behavior of beryllium (Be) following plasma irradiation is of particular significance for molybdenum (Mo) in future fusion devices. Using first-principles calculations combined with thermodynamic models, the optimal configuration for Be clustering in Mo has been clearly determined, with a particular focus on the effects of vacancies and self-interstitials (SIAs). As the initial form of nucleation, the physical origin of Be-Be pair binding energy in Mo has been shown to be primarily dominated by the charge density at their location. Based on all of our computational results, a potential clustering mechanism for the formation of Be-rich regions in Mo is proposed: Be atoms first aggregate at interstitial sites, forming Ben clusters. When the number of Be atoms reaches six, they form an approximately “octahedral” structure, displacing a central Mo atom and generating a Be6V cluster and an SIA. They act as nucleation sites that continue to attract more Be atoms, growing into larger BenV and Ben-SIA clusters. As the Ben-SIA clusters expand, excess Be atoms displace more Mo atoms, creating additional SIAs and vacancies and further propagating the formation of Ben-SIA and BenV clusters. This cascading process ultimately results in the development of Be-rich regions within Mo. Our results provide significant data support for advancing Mo as a primary mirror material and also offer valuable theoretical insights into the aggregation behavior of impurities in metals under irradiation conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352179125000900MolybdenumBerylliumVacancySelf-interstitial atomFirst-principles calculations
spellingShingle Aoyu Mo
Haijun Li
Fuquan Guo
Xiaowei Ma
Yunshan Xiong
Peng Shao
Bo Li
Kun Jie Yang
Yue-Lin Liu
Quan-Fu Han
First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms
Nuclear Materials and Energy
Molybdenum
Beryllium
Vacancy
Self-interstitial atom
First-principles calculations
title First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms
title_full First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms
title_fullStr First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms
title_full_unstemmed First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms
title_short First-principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum: Effects of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms
title_sort first principles study of beryllium thermodynamics and clustering mechanism in molybdenum effects of vacancies and self interstitial atoms
topic Molybdenum
Beryllium
Vacancy
Self-interstitial atom
First-principles calculations
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352179125000900
work_keys_str_mv AT aoyumo firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT haijunli firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT fuquanguo firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT xiaoweima firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT yunshanxiong firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT pengshao firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT boli firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT kunjieyang firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT yuelinliu firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms
AT quanfuhan firstprinciplesstudyofberylliumthermodynamicsandclusteringmechanisminmolybdenumeffectsofvacanciesandselfinterstitialatoms