Oxygen interstitials make metastable titanium alloys strong and ductile

Chong, Y.*; Gholizadeh, R.*; Guo, B.*; Tsuru, Tomohito; Zhao, G.*; Yoshida, Shuhei*; Mitsuhara, Masatoshi*; Godfrey, A.*; Tsuji, Nobuhiro*

Acta Materialia, 257, p.119165_1 - 119165_14, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.119165

Metastable titanium alloys possess excellent strain-hardening capability, but suffer from a low yield strength. As a result, numerous attempts have been made to strengthen this important structural material in the last decade. Here, we explore the contributions of grain refinement and interstitial additions in raising the yield strength of a Ti-12Mo (wt.%) metastable titanium alloy. Surprisingly, rather than strengthening the material, grain refinement actually lowers the ultimate tensile strength in this alloy. This unexpected and anomalous behavior is attributed to a significant enhancement in strain-induced martensite phase transformation, where in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis reveals, for the first time, that this phase is much softer than the parent phase. Instead, a combination of both oxygen addition and grain refinement is found to realize an unprecedented strength-ductility synergy in a Ti-12Mo-0.3O (wt.%) alloy. The advantageous effect of oxygen solutes in this ternary alloy is twofold. Firstly, solute oxygen largely suppresses strain-induced transformation to the martensite phase, even in a fine-grained microstructure, thus avoiding the softening effect of excessive amounts of martensite. Secondly, oxygen solutes readily segregate to twin boundaries, as revealed by atom probe tomography. This restricts the growth of deformation twins, thereby promoting more extensive twin nucleation, leading to enhanced microstructural refinement. The insights from our work provide a cost-effective rationale for the design of strong yet tough metastable titanium alloys, with significant implications for more widespread use of this high strength-to-weight structural material.

Unexpected dynamic transformation from phase to phase in zirconium alloy revealed by in-situ neutron diffraction during high temperature deformation

Guo, B.*; Mao, W.; Chong, Y.*; Shibata, Akinobu*; Harjo, S.; Gong, W.; Chen, H.*; Jonas, J. J.*; Tsuji, Nobuhiro*

Acta Materialia, 242, p.118427_1 - 118427_11, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2022.118427

Ultrahigh yield strength and large uniform elongation achieved in ultrafine-grained titanium containing nitrogen

Chong, Y.*; Tsuru, Tomohito; Guo, B.*; Gholizadeh, R.*; Inoue, Koji*; Tsuji, Nobuhiro*

Acta Materialia, 240, p.118356_1 - 118356_15, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2022.118356

In this study, we systematically investigated the influences of nitrogen content and grain size on the tensile properties and deformation behaviors of titanium at room temperature. By high-pressure torsion and annealing, we obtained ultrafine-grained (UFG) Ti-0.3wt.%N alloy with a fully recrystallized microstructure, which combined an unprecedented synergy of ultrahigh yield strength (1.04 GPa) and large uniform elongation (10%). The hardening and strain-hardening mechanisms of Ti-0.3wt.%N alloy were comprehensively studied via deformation substructure observation and first-principles calculations. It is revealed that the contributions of nitrogen to the excellent strength/ductility balance in UFG Ti-0.3wt.%N were twofold. On one hand, nitrogen atoms inside the grains strongly impeded the motion of dislocations on prismatic plane due the shuffling of nitrogen from octahedral to hexahedral site, giving rise to a six-fold increase in the friction stress than pure Ti. Moreover, the greatly reduced stacking fault energy difference between prismatic and pyramidal planes in Ti-0.3wt.%N alloy facilitated an easier activation of dislocations, which contributed to an enhanced strain-hardening rate. On the other hand, some nitrogen atoms segregated near the grain boundaries, a phenomenon discovered in -titanium for the first time. These segregated nitrogen atoms served as an additional contributor to the yield strength of UFG Ti-0.3wt.%N, by raising the barrier against dislocation slip transfer between grains. Our experimental and theoretical calculation work provide insights for the design of affordable high strength titanium without a large sacrifice of ductility, shedding lights on a more widespread use of this high strength to weight material.

The scaling of the vibrational density of states in quasi-2D nanoconfined solids

Yu, Y.*; Yang, C.*; Baggioli, M.*; Phillips, A. E.*; Zaccone, A.*; Zhang, L.*; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Yu, D.*; Hong, L.*

Nature Communications (Internet), 13, p.3649_1 - 3649_10, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31349-6

Joint environmental radiation survey by JAEA and KAERI around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant; Performance of mobile gamma-ray spectrometry using backpack and carborne survey platforms

Ji, Y.-Y.*; Ochi, Kotaro; Hong, S. B.*; Nakama, Shigeo; Sanada, Yukihisa; Mikami, Satoshi

Health Physics, 121(6), p.613 - 620, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0000000000001471

According to the implementing arrangement between JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency) and KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) in the field of the radiation protection and environmental radiation monitoring, the joint measurement has been conducted to assess the radioactive cesium deposition in the ground around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants (FDNPP). First, mobile gamma-ray spectrometry using backpack survey platform was conducted to assess the distribution of dose rate around specific three survey sites. The carborne survey using gamma-ray spectrometers, as loading inside a vehicle, was successfully conducted to compare measured dose rates in routes from site to site and verify evaluation methods including the attenuation correction.

Formation process of swamp sediments of the Karako Lowland in northern Shimabara Peninsula, Western Japan

Nakanishi, Toshimichi*; Okuno, Mitsuru*; Yamasaki, Keiji*; Hong, W.*; Fujita, Natsuko; Nakamura, Toshio*; Horikawa, Yoshiyuki*; Sato, Eiichi*; Kimura, Haruo*; Tsutsumi, Hiroyuki*

Nagoya Daigaku Nendai Sokutei Kenkyu, 5, p.38 - 43, 2021/03

no abstracts in English

Performance of in situ gamma-ray spectrometry in the assessment of radioactive cesium deposition around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Ji, Y.-Y.*; Ochi, Kotaro; Hong, S. B.*; Nakama, Shigeo; Sanada, Yukihisa; Mikami, Satoshi

Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 179, p.109205_1 - 109205_11, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2020.109205

In situ gamma-ray spectrometry using diverse survey platforms has been conducted in contaminated areas with several dose rate levels around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). Six survey sites, including two evacuation zones around the FDNPP, were selected for ground-based gamma-ray spectrometry using HPGe (high purity Ge) and LaBr(Ce) detectors to assess the radioactive cesium deposition in the ground. The diverse levels of radioactivity of Cs were then distributed to six survey sites from 30 to 3000 kBq m in the measurement period of October 2018. A method to directly calculate the depth profile using in situ measurement was introduced so as to have representation over a wide area, and the results were successfully compared with those of sample analysis at one point in the site.

The -electron state of the heavy fermion superconductor NpPdAl and the isostructural family

Metoki, Naoto; Aczel, A. A.*; Aoki, Dai*; Chi, S.*; Fernandez-Baca, J. A.*; Griveau, J.-C.*; Hagihara, Masato*; Hong, T.*; Haga, Yoshinori; Ikeuchi, Kazuhiko*; et al.

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 30, p.011123_1 - 011123_6, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.30.011123

Rare earths (4) and actinides (5) provide variety of interesting states realized with competing interactions between the increasing number of electrons. Since crystal field splitting of many-body electron system is smaller than the bandwidth, (1) high resolution experiments are needed, (2) essentially no clear spectrum with well defined peaks is expected in itinerant Ce and U compounds, and (3) Np and Pu is strictly regulated. Therefore, systematic research on magnetic excitations by neutron scattering experiments of localized compounds and rare earth iso-structural reference is useful. We describe the electron states of heavy electron compounds NpPdAl and actinide and rare earth based iso-structural family.

-electron states in PrPdAl

Metoki, Naoto; Yamauchi, Hiroki; Suzuki, Hiroyuki*; Kitazawa, Hideaki*; Hagihara, Masato*; Masuda, Takatsugu*; Aczel, A. A.*; Chi, S.*; Hong, T.*; Matsuda, Masaaki*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 87(9), p.094704_1 - 094704_8, 2018/09

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.87.094704

The -electron states of PrPdAl were revealed by neutron inelastic scattering. The flat -orbitals with large become stable under the two-dimensional CEF potential of unique crystal structure, which is the origin of the Ising anisotropy. A systematic understanding is possible in RPdAl based on this CEF potential. Especially the -type anisotropy in NpPdAl can be qualitatively understood with the positive Stevens factors. It mean that the local property is important for the physical properties of RPdAl including the heavy fermion superconductivity in NpPdAl.

Phase transitions and polymerization of CH-CF cocrystal under extreme conditions

Wang, Y.*; Wang, L.*; Zheng, H.*; Li, K.*; Andrzejewski, M.*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami; Katrusiak, A.*; Meng, Y.*; Liao, F.*; et al.

Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 120(51), p.29510 - 29519, 2016/12

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b11245

Pressure-induced polymerization (PIP) of aromatic molecules can generate saturated carbon nanostructures. As a strongly interacted - stacking unit, the CH-CF adduct is widely applied in supramolecular chemistry, and it provides a good preorganization for the PIP. Here we investigated the structural variation of CH-CF cocrystal and the subsequent PIP process under high pressure. Four new molecular-complex phases V, VI, VII, and VIII have been identified and characterized by the in situ Raman, IR, synchrotron X-ray, and neutron diffraction. The phase V is different from the phases observed at low temperature, which has a tilted column structure. Phases VI and VII have a structure similar to phase V. Phase VIII polymerizes irreversibly upon compression above 25 GPa without any catalyst, producing sp(CH/F) materials. The - interaction is still dominant below 0.5 GPa but is most likely to be overstepped under further compression, which is important for discussing the supramolecular phase transition and the polymerization process.