Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain Boundaries
Helium (He) accumulation, a byproduct of nuclear transmutation, poses a significant reliability challenge for the materials used in nuclear reactors. Nanomaterials, with their high density of interfaces, offer superior He tolerance by absorbing He atoms and suppressing bubble growth. However, the lo...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Inorganics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/13/5/158 |
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| author | Xin Xiao Sen Sun Wei Jiang Xiaoling Qin Qinxin Liu Yuanxia Lao |
| author_facet | Xin Xiao Sen Sun Wei Jiang Xiaoling Qin Qinxin Liu Yuanxia Lao |
| author_sort | Xin Xiao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Helium (He) accumulation, a byproduct of nuclear transmutation, poses a significant reliability challenge for the materials used in nuclear reactors. Nanomaterials, with their high density of interfaces, offer superior He tolerance by absorbing He atoms and suppressing bubble growth. However, the long-term stability of these materials under continuous He accumulation remains a concern. This study investigated the microstructural and mechanical property responses of ZrN nanofilms to excessive He accumulation. Different doses of He atoms were introduced via magnetron sputtering. The results indicate that increasing the He dose induced a nanocrystalline-to-amorphous transition and instability in the mechanical properties. The structural and mechanical instability, characterized by surface blistering, softening, abnormal lattice shrinkage, and amorphization, was primarily triggered by the degradation of the grain boundaries with He accumulation, and an amorphization model of nanomaterials is proposed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e9b7f04324a34d939ce79a4636bdc21d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2304-6740 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Inorganics |
| spelling | doaj-art-e9b7f04324a34d939ce79a4636bdc21d2025-08-20T03:47:57ZengMDPI AGInorganics2304-67402025-05-0113515810.3390/inorganics13050158Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain BoundariesXin Xiao0Sen Sun1Wei Jiang2Xiaoling Qin3Qinxin Liu4Yuanxia Lao5Department of Scientific Research, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning 530021, ChinaSchool of Mathematics and Physics, Mianyang Teachers’ College, Mianyang 621000, ChinaSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Natural Polymer Chemistry and Physics, College of Chemistry and Materials, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001, ChinaSchool of Mathematics and Physics, Mianyang Teachers’ College, Mianyang 621000, ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Natural Polymer Chemistry and Physics, College of Chemistry and Materials, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001, ChinaHelium (He) accumulation, a byproduct of nuclear transmutation, poses a significant reliability challenge for the materials used in nuclear reactors. Nanomaterials, with their high density of interfaces, offer superior He tolerance by absorbing He atoms and suppressing bubble growth. However, the long-term stability of these materials under continuous He accumulation remains a concern. This study investigated the microstructural and mechanical property responses of ZrN nanofilms to excessive He accumulation. Different doses of He atoms were introduced via magnetron sputtering. The results indicate that increasing the He dose induced a nanocrystalline-to-amorphous transition and instability in the mechanical properties. The structural and mechanical instability, characterized by surface blistering, softening, abnormal lattice shrinkage, and amorphization, was primarily triggered by the degradation of the grain boundaries with He accumulation, and an amorphization model of nanomaterials is proposed.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/13/5/158ZrN nanofilmshelium accumulationgrain boundariesamorphization |
| spellingShingle | Xin Xiao Sen Sun Wei Jiang Xiaoling Qin Qinxin Liu Yuanxia Lao Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain Boundaries Inorganics ZrN nanofilms helium accumulation grain boundaries amorphization |
| title | Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain Boundaries |
| title_full | Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain Boundaries |
| title_fullStr | Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain Boundaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain Boundaries |
| title_short | Nanocrystalline–Amorphous Transition in ZrN Nanofilms Induced by Helium Accumulation at Grain Boundaries |
| title_sort | nanocrystalline amorphous transition in zrn nanofilms induced by helium accumulation at grain boundaries |
| topic | ZrN nanofilms helium accumulation grain boundaries amorphization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/13/5/158 |
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