The U-Ti system: Strengths and weaknesses of the CALPHAD method Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Input from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations is used to understand phase equilibria in a binary metallic alloy fuel system: U-Ti. The CALPHAD approach is employed to calculate a U-Ti phase diagram that is consistent not only with experimental data but also - more importantly - with thermodynamic data from DFT calculations: heat of formation of (bcc)-U-Ti alloys as a function of composition, and formation enthalpy of the -U 2 Ti compound. Three DFT-based electronic structure methods are utilized: SR-KKR-ASA-CPA, SR-EMTO-CPA, and FPLMTO-SQS, and the use of derived ab initio data avoids the manifestation of unreasonable or inaccurate phase stabilities that result from an otherwise unconstrained Gibbs energy minimization within the CALPHAD approach. We also investigate phase formation of the -U 2 Ti phase in the U-Ti system, that stabilizes in the same C32 structure as other binary metallic fuel alloys such as U-Zr and Np-Zr. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS

author list (cited authors)

  • Bajaj, S., Landa, A., Soederlind, P., Turchi, P., & Arroyave, R.

citation count

  • 29

complete list of authors

  • Bajaj, Saurabh||Landa, Alexander||Soederlind, Per||Turchi, Patrice EA||Arroyave, Raymundo

publication date

  • January 2011