Nanostructural evolution and behavior of H and Li in ion-implanted -LiAlO2 Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • 2017 In-situ He+ ion irradiation is performed under a helium ion microscope to study nanostructural evolution in polycrystalline -LiAlO2 pellets. Various locations within a grain, across grain boundaries and at a cavity are selected. The results exhibit He bubble formation, grain-boundary cracking, nanoparticle agglomeration, increasing surface brightness with dose, and material loss from the surface. Similar brightening effects at grain boundaries are also observed under a scanning electron microscope. Li diffusion and loss from polycrystalline -LiAlO2 is faster than its monocrystalline counterpart during H2+ ion implantation at elevated temperatures. There is also more significant H diffusion and release from polycrystalline pellets during thermal annealing of 300 K implanted samples. Grain boundaries and cavities could provide a faster pathway for H and Li diffusion. H release is slightly faster from the 573 K implanted monocrystalline -LiAlO2 during annealing at 773 K. Metal hydrides could be formed preferentially along the grain boundaries to immobilize hydrogen.

published proceedings

  • Journal of Nuclear Materials

author list (cited authors)

  • Jiang, W., Zhang, J., Edwards, D. J., Overman, N. R., Zhu, Z., Price, L., ... Senor, D. J.

citation count

  • 19

complete list of authors

  • Jiang, Weilin||Zhang, Jiandong||Edwards, Danny J||Overman, Nicole R||Zhu, Zihua||Price, Lloyd||Gigax, Jonathan||Castanon, Elizabeth||Shao, Lin||Senor, David J

publication date

  • October 2017