Evaluation and analysis method of hydrogen embrittlement, 3; Interpretation of thermal desorption profiles of hydrogen based on numerical simulations

Ebihara, Kenichi

Zairyo, 71(5), p.481 - 487, 2022/05

https://doi.org/10.2472/jsms.71.481

no abstracts in English

Hydrogen-trapping energy in screw and edge dislocations in aluminum; First-principles calculations

Yamaguchi, Masatake; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Tsuru, Tomohito; Ebihara, Kenichi

Materials Transactions, 62(5), p.582 - 589, 2021/05

https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MT-M2020375

no abstracts in English

Grain-boundary phosphorus segregation in highly neutron-irradiated reactor pressure vessel steels and its effect on irradiation embrittlement

Hata, Kuniki; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Hojo, Tomohiro*; Ebihara, Kenichi; Nishiyama, Yutaka; Nagai, Yasuyoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 543, p.152564_1 - 152564_10, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152564

Reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels for pressurized water reactors (PWRs) with bulk P contents ranging from 0.007 to 0.012wt.% were subjected to neutron irradiation at fluences ranging from 0.3 to 1.210 n/cm (E 1 MeV) in PWRs or a materials testing reactor (MTR). Grain-boundary P segregation was analyzed using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) on intergranular facets and found to increase with increasing neutron fluence. A rate theory model was also used to simulate the increase in grain-boundary P segregation for RPV steels with a bulk P content up to 0.020wt.%. The increase in grain-boundary P segregation in RPV steel with a bulk P content of 0.015wt.% (the maximum P concentration found in RPV steels used in Japanese nuclear power plants intended for restart) was estimated to be less than 0.1 in monolayer coverage at 1.010 n/cm (E 1 MeV). A comparison of the PWR data with the MTR data showed that neutron flux had no effect upon grain-boundary P segregation. The effects of grain-boundary P segregation upon changes in irradiation hardening and ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) shifts were also discussed. A linear relationship between irradiation hardening and the DBTT shift with a slope of 0.63 obtained for RPV steels with a bulk P content up to 0.026wt.%, which is higher than that of most U.S. A533B steels. It is concluded that the intergranular embrittlement is unlikely to occur for RPV steels irradiated in PWRs.

Brittle-fracture simulations of curved cleavage cracks in -iron; A Molecular dynamics study

Suzudo, Tomoaki; Ebihara, Kenichi; Tsuru, Tomohito

AIP Advances (Internet), 10(11), p.115209_1 - 115209_8, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0026659

The mechanism of their brittle fracture of BCC metals is not fully understood. In this study, we conduct a series of three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations of cleavage fracture of -iron. In particular, we focus on mode-I loading starting from curved crack fronts. In the simulations, brittle fractures are observed at cleavages on the {100} plane, while the initial cracks become blunted on other planes as a result of dislocation emissions. Our modeling results agreed with a common experimental observation, that is, {100} is the preferential cleavage plane in bcc transition metals.

Molecular dynamics study of phosphorus migration in 5 grain boundary of -iron

Ebihara, Kenichi; Suzudo, Tomoaki

Proceedings of Joint International Conference on Supercomputing in Nuclear Applications + Monte Carlo 2020 (SNA + MC 2020), p.65 - 69, 2020/10

Phosphorus (P) is known as one of the elements which cause the grain boundary (GB) embrittlement in steels and its GB segregation is promoted by the increase of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms due to irradiation. Thus we have been developing the rate-theory model for estimating GB P segregation under several temperatures and irradiation conditions. Because the model does not include the trapping and de-trapping processes properly, however, the model cannot calculate GB P coverage which is measured by experiments. As for the de-trapping process, so far, we have considered the migration of a P atom in the GB region of 3 symmetrical tilt GB using molecular dynamics (MD). In the current study, we also simulated the P migration in 5 GB using MD and compared the result with that of 3. As a result, at 800K, it was found that a P atom cannot migrate in 5 without vacancies while a P atom can migrate between iron atoms in 3.

Molecular dynamics simulations of phosphorus migration in a grain boundary of -iron

Ebihara, Kenichi; Suzudo, Tomoaki

TMS 2020; 149th Annual Meeting & Exhibition Supplemental Proceedings, p.995 - 1002, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36296-6_93

Phosphorus (P) is known as an element which causes grain boundary (GB) embrittlement in steels. In addition, GB P segregation is promoted by the increase of vacancies and self interstitial atoms due to irradiation. Thus, the diffusion rate theory model for estimating irradiation-induced GB P segregation has been developed based on the atomic processes. Since the present model does not include the trapping and de-trapping processes at GBs, however, it cannot calculate the value which is directly compared with experimental results. In this study, we simulated the migration of a P atom in the 3(111) symmetrical tilt GB. In addition, by tracking the migration of the P atom, the diffusion barrier energy was evaluated. As a result, the diffusion barrier energy was almost the same as the P segregation energy of an interstitial site in the GB, and it was found that P atoms migrate via interstitial sites in the GB.

First-principles calculation of multiple hydrogen segregation along aluminum grain boundaries

Yamaguchi, Masatake; Ebihara, Kenichi; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Tsuru, Tomohito; Matsuda, Kenji*; Toda, Hiroyuki*

Computational Materials Science, 156, p.368 - 375, 2019/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2018.10.015

The segregation of multiple hydrogen atoms along aluminum (Al) grain boundaries (GBs) and fracture surfaces (FSs) was investigated through first-principles calculations considering the characteristics of GBs. The results indicate that hydrogen segregation is difficult along low-energy GBs. The segregation energy of multiple hydrogen atoms along GBs and FSs and the cohesive energy was obtained for three types of high-energy Al GBs. With increasing hydrogen segregation along the GBs, the cohesive energy of the GB decreases and approaches zero with no decrease in GB segregation energy. The GB cohesive energy decreases in parallel with the volume expansion of the region of low electron density along the GB.

Interpretation of thermal desorption spectra of hydrogen from aluminum using numerical simulation

Ebihara, Kenichi; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Tsuru, Tomohito; Itakura, Mitsuhiro

Keikinzoku, 68(11), p.596 - 602, 2018/11

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) is considered as one cause of stress corrosion cracking. HE is a serious problem in the development of high strength aluminum alloy as with steels. For understanding HE, it is inevitable to know hydrogen trapping states in the alloys and it can be identified using thermal desorption spectrometry of H. In this study, we numerically simulated thermal desorption spectra of hydrogen in aluminum for a cylindrical and a plate specimens and interpreted the desorption peaks included in them on the basis of the trap site concentration and the trap energy. As a result, we found that the peak at the lowest-temperature side can result from grain boundaries and confirmed that the reported interpretation for other peaks is reasonable. We also obtained the result showing the possibility that the trap site concentration of defects changes during heating the specimens. This result may give a suggestion for the interpretation of temperature desorption spectra of steels.

Atomistic simulation of phosphorus segregation to 3(111) symmetrical tilt grain boundary in -iron

Ebihara, Kenichi; Suzudo, Tomoaki

Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 26(6), p.065005_1 - 065005_10, 2018/09

AA2018-0168.pdf:2.74MB

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-651X/aace6a

Irradiation-induced grain boundary phosphorus segregation is an important factor for estimating the embrittlement of nuclear reactor pressure vessel steels, but the physical process of phosphorus migration to grain boundaries is still unclear. We numerically studied phosphorus migration toward 3(111) symmetrical tilt grain boundary in -iron using molecular dynamics. We found that, in the vicinity of the grain boundary within 1 nm distance, an iron-phosphorus mixed dumbbell and an octahedral interstitial phosphorus atom push a self-interstitial atom into the grain boundary, and the phosphorus atom becomes a substitutional atom. A phosphorus vacancy complex in the region also becomes dissociated, and the vacancy is absorbed in the grain boundary without dragging phosphorus. The results claim that a novel view of the segregation process is required.

First-principles study of hydrogen segregation at the MgZn precipitate in Al-Mg-Zn alloys

Tsuru, Tomohito; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Ebihara, Kenichi; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Shiihara, Yoshinori*; Matsuda, Kenji*; Toda, Hiroyuki*

Computational Materials Science, 148, p.301 - 306, 2018/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2018.03.009

Hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of high strength 7xxx series Al alloys has been recognized as the critical issues in the practical use of Al alloys. Focusing on the interface between MgZn precipitates and an Al matrix, which is considered as one of the important segregation sites in these alloys, we investigated the stable -MgZn-Al interface, and the possible hydrogen trap sites in MgZn and at the -MgZn-Al interface via first-principles calculation. Most of the interstitial sites inside the MgZn crystal were not possible trap sites because their energy is relatively higher than that of other trap sites. The trap energy of the most favorable site at the -MgZn-Al is approximately -0.3 eV/H, which is more stable that of the interstitial site at the grain boundary. The interface between MgZn and Al is likely to be a possible trap site in Al alloys.