Atomic reconstruction induced by uniaxial stress in MnP

Kozawa, Tatsuya*; Fujihara, Masayoshi; Uchihara, Takeru*; Mitsuda, Setsuo*; Yano, Shinichiro*; Tamatsukuri, Hiromu; Munakata, Koji*; Nakao, Akiko*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 13, p.13750_1 - 13750_8, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40806-1

In condensed matter physics, pressure is frequently used to modify the stability of both electronic states and atomic arrangements. Under isotropic pressure, the intermetallic compound MnP has recently attracted attention for the interplay between pressure-induced superconductivity and complicated magnetic order in the vicinity. By contrast, we use uniaxial stress, a directional type of pressure, to investigate the effect on the magnetism and crystal structure of this compound. An irreversible magnetisation response induced by uniaxial stress is discovered in MnP at uniaxial stress as low as 0.04 GPa. Neutron diffraction experiments reveal that uniaxial stress forms crystal domains that satisfy pseudo-rotational symmetry unique to the MnP-type structure. The structure of the coexisting domains accounts for the stress-induced magnetism. We term this first discovered phenomenon atomic reconstruction (AR) induced by uniaxial stress. Furthermore, our calculation results provide guidelines on the search for AR candidates. AR allows crystal domain engineering to control anisotropic properties of materials, including dielectricity, elasticity, electrical conduction, magnetism and superconductivity. A wide-ranging exploration of potential AR candidates would ensure that crystal domain engineering yields unconventional methods to design functional multi-domain materials for a wide variety of purposes.

Neutron spectroscopy evidence on the dual nature of magnetic excitations in a van der Waals metallic ferromagnet FeGeTe

Bao, S.*; Wang, W.*; Shangguan, Y.*; Cai, Z.*; Dong, Z.-Y.*; Huang, Z.*; Si, W.*; Ma, Z.*; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Ikeuchi, Kazuhiko*; et al.

Physical Review X, 12(1), p.011022_1 - 011022_15, 2022/02

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.12.011022

Colossal barocaloric effects in plastic crystals

Li, B.*; Kawakita, Yukinobu; Kawamura, Seiko; Sugahara, Takeshi*; Wang, H.*; Wang, J.*; Chen, Y.*; Kawaguchi, Saori*; Kawaguchi, Shogo*; Ohara, Koji*; et al.

Nature, 567(7749), p.506 - 510, 2019/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1042-5

Refrigeration is of vital importance for modern society for example, for food storage and air conditioning- and 25 to 30% of the world's electricity is consumed for refrigeration. Current refrigeration technology mostly involves the conventional vapour compression cycle, but the materials used in this technology are of growing environmental concern because of their large global warming potential. As a promising alternative, refrigeration technologies based on solid-state caloric effects have been attracting attention in recent decades. However, their application is restricted by the limited performance of current caloric materials, owing to small isothermal entropy changes and large driving magnetic fields. Here we report colossal barocaloric effects (CBCEs) (barocaloric effects are cooling effects of pressure-induced phase transitions) in a class of disordered solids called plastic crystals. The obtained entropy changes in a representative plastic crystal, neopentylglycol, are about 389 joules per kilogram per kelvin near room temperature. Pressure-dependent neutron scattering measurements reveal that CBCEs in plastic crystals can be attributed to the combination of extensive molecular orientational disorder, giant compressibility and highly anharmonic lattice dynamics of these materials. Our study establishes the microscopic mechanism of CBCEs in plastic crystals and paves the way to next-generation solid-state refrigeration technologies.

Science from the initial operation of HRC

Ito, Shinichi*; Yokoo, Tetsuya*; Masuda, Takatsugu*; Yoshizawa, Hideki*; Soda, Minoru*; Ikeda, Yoichi*; Ibuka, Soshi*; Kawana, Daichi*; Sato, Taku*; Nambu, Yusuke*; et al.

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 8, p.034001_1 - 034001_6, 2015/09

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.8.034001

Investigation of the cause of peculiar irradiation behavior of 9Cr-ODS steel in BOR-60 irradiation tests

Otsuka, Satoshi; Kaito, Takeji; Yano, Yasuhide; Yamashita, Shinichiro; Ogawa, Ryuichiro; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Koyama, Shinichi; Tanaka, Kenya

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 50(5), p.470 - 480, 2013/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2013.785273

Four experimental fuel assemblies (EFAs) containing 9Cr-ODS steel cladding fuel pins were previously irradiated in the BOR-60. One of the EFAs achieved the best data, a peak burn-up of 11.9at% and a neutron dose of 51 dpa, without any microstructure instability or any fuel pin rupture. On the other hand, in another EFA (peak burn-up, 10.5at%; peak neutron dose, 44 dpa), peculiar irradiation behaviors such as microstructure instability and fuel pin rupture occurred. The combined effects of matrix Cr heterogeneity (presence of metallic Cr inclusions) and high-temperature irradiation were concluded to be the main cause of the peculiar microstructure change of 9Cr-ODS steel cladding tubes in the BOR-60 irradiation tests. They contributed to the fuel pin rupture.

Effects of neutron irradiation on tensile properties of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel claddings

Yano, Yasuhide; Ogawa, Ryuichiro; Yamashita, Shinichiro; Otsuka, Satoshi; Kaito, Takeji; Akasaka, Naoaki; Inoue, Masaki; Yoshitake, Tsunemitsu; Tanaka, Kenya

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 419(1-3), p.305 - 309, 2011/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2011.05.026

The effects of fast neutron irradiation on ring tensile properties of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel claddings for fast reactor were investigated. Specimens were irradiated in the experimental fast reactor Joyo using the material irradiation rig at temperatures between 693 and 1108 K to fast neutron doses ranging from 16 to 33 dpa. The post-irradiation ring tensile tests were carried out at irradiation temperatures. The experimental results showed that there was no significant change in tensile strengths after neutron irradiation below 923 K, but the tensile strengths at neutron irradiation above 1023 K up to 33 dpa were decreased by about 20%. On the other hand, uniform elongation after irradiation was more than 2% at all irradiation conditions. The ring tensile properties of these ODS claddings remained excellent within these irradiation conditions compared with conventional 11Cr ferritic/martensitic steel (PNC-FMS) claddings.

Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory Project, Annual report for fiscal year 2009

Kunimaru, Takanori; Mikake, Shinichiro; Nishio, Kazuhisa; Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hayano, Akira; Takeuchi, Ryuji; Saegusa, Hiromitsu; Oyama, Takuya; Mizuno, Takashi; et al.

JAEA-Review 2011-007, 145 Pages, 2011/03

JAEA-Review-2011-007.pdf:16.51MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) at Tono Geoscience Center (TGC) is pursuing a geoscientific research and development project namely the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) Project in crystalline rock environment in order to construct scientific and technological basis for geological disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste (HLW). Geoscientific research and the MIU Project are planned in three overlapping phases; Surface-based Investigation Phase (Phase 1), Construction Phase (Phase 2) and Operation Phase (Phase 3). Currently, the project is under the Construction Phase. This document introduces the results of the research and development in fiscal year 2009, as a part of the Construction Phase based on the MIU Master Plan updated in 2002, (1) Investigation at the MIU Construction Site and the Shobasama Site, (2) Construction at the MIU Construction Site, (3) Research Collaboration, etc. The goals of the Phase 2 are to develop and revise the models of the geological environment using the investigation results obtained during excavation and determine and assess changes in the geological environment in response to excavation, to evaluate the effectiveness of engineering techniques used for construction, maintenance and management of underground facilities, to establish detailed investigation plans of Phase 3.

Studies on planning and conducting for reducing water inflow due to underground construction in crystalline rock

Mikake, Shinichiro; Yamamoto, Masaru; Ikeda, Koki; Sugihara, Kozo; Takeuchi, Shinji; Hayano, Akira; Sato, Toshinori; Takeda, Shinichi; Ishii, Yoji; Ishida, Hideaki; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2010-026, 146 Pages, 2010/08

JAEA-Technology-2010-026.pdf:41.08MB
JAEA-Technology-2010-026-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:83.37MB

The Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU), one of the main facilities in Japan for research and development of the technology for high-level radioactive waste disposal, is under construction in Mizunami City. In planning the construction, it was necessary to get reliable information on the bedrock conditions, specifically the rock mass stability and hydrogeology. Therefore, borehole investigations were conducted before excavations started. The results indicated that large water inflow could be expected during the excavation around the Ventilation Shaft at GL-200m and GL-300m Access/Research Gallery. In order to reduce water inflow, pre-excavation grouting was conducted before excavation of shafts and research tunnels. Grouting is the injection of material such as cement into a rock mass to stabilize and seal the rock. This report describes the knowledge and lessons learned during the planning and conducting of pre-excavation grouting.

Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory Project, Annual report for fiscal year 2008

Takeuchi, Shinji; Kunimaru, Takanori; Mikake, Shinichiro; Nishio, Kazuhisa; Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hayano, Akira; Takeuchi, Ryuji; Saegusa, Hiromitsu; Oyama, Takuya; et al.

JAEA-Review 2010-014, 110 Pages, 2010/07

JAEA-Review-2010-014.pdf:27.34MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) at Tono Geoscience Center (TGC) is developing a geoscientific research project named Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) Project in crystalline rock environment in order to establish scientific and technological basis for geological disposal of HLW. Geoscientific research at MIU is planned to be carried out in three phases over a period of 20 years; Surface-based Investigation Phase (Phase I), Construction Phase (Phase II) and Operation Phase (Phase III). Currently, the project is under the Construction Phase. This document presents the following results of the research and development performed in fiscal year 2008, as a part of the Construction Phase based on the MIU Master Plan updated in 2002, (1) Investigation at the MIU Construction Site and the Shobasama Site, (2) Construction at the MIU Construction Site, (3) Research Collaboration.

Mechanical properties and microstructural stability of 11Cr-ferritic/martensitic steel cladding under irradiation

Yano, Yasuhide; Yamashita, Shinichiro; Otsuka, Satoshi; Kaito, Takeji; Akasaka, Naoaki; Shibayama, Tamaki*; Watanabe, Seiichi*; Takahashi, Heishichiro

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 398(1-3), p.59 - 63, 2010/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.10.010

The in-reactor creep rupture tests of 11Cr-0.5Mo-2W, V, Nb F/M steel were carried out in the temperature range from 823 to 943 K using Materials Open Test Assembly in the Fast Flux Test Facility and tensile and temperature-transient-to-burst specimens were irradiated in the experimental fast reactor JOYO at temperatures between 693 to 1013 K to fast neutron doses ranging from 3.5 to 102 dpa. The results of post irradiation mechanical tests showed that there was no significant degradation in tensile and transient burst strengths even after neutron irradiation below 873 K, but that there was significant degradation in both strengths at neutron irradiation above 903 K. On the other hand, the in-reactor creep rupture times were equal or greater than those of out-reactor creep even after neutron irradiation at all temperatures. This creep rupture behavior was different from that of tensile and transient burst specimens.