Radiation Enhanced Diffusion Paper Published in J Phys Chem C

Our team’s latest paper on radiation enhanced diffusion in Cr2O3, led by Kayla Yano, has just been published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C! We explore anion transport in these materials using a correlative STEM and isotopic-labeling APT approach, showing how radiation can impede the passivating effect of this material in extreme environments.

From the abstract:

Cr2O3 is a ubiquitous passivating film on alloys that is vital to their stability and performance in hostile environments. In this study, we directly observe and measure how anion transport through the oxide is affected by 400 ke V Ar2+ ion irradiation as a function of temperature (30 to 500 °C) and dose (0.33 to 2.00 dpa) in single-crystal Cr2O3 films using embedded 180 isotopic tracers and atom probe tomography. Diffusion coefficients are experimentally determined and compared to a chemical-rate theory model. Experimental and theoretical results are broadly in agreement, showing anion diffusion increases at least 4-5 orders of magnitude upon irradiation with a weak dependence on temperature and a stronger dose-driven sink-strength dependence. These results reveal that radiation could significantly reduce the protectiveness of Cr2O3 films when passivity relies upon limited anion diffusivity, even at relatively modest levels of irradiation and low temperatures.

To view the manuscript, visit: http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c08705

To download the manuscript directly, click here.