High-Entropy Alloys for Nuclear Application
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by the National Science Foundation via the Research Experience for Undergraduates Site: Materials for Society (Award No. 1950305) and by the Micron School of Materials Science & Engineering at Boise State University. Additional support was received from NSF REU Program No. 2051090, MaCS, CAES, and Idaho National Laboratory.
Abstract
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have become increasingly popular in recent studies across multiple fields due to their outstanding ductility and performance throughout a large temperature range, as well as characteristics like superparamagnetism and superconductivity. These characteristics make HEAs highly desirable materials in novel and advanced nuclear applications where extreme conditions are prevalent. The fabrication and characterization of HEAs have been approached from various directions, traditionally and innovatively, to explore their capabilities and limitations. In this work, we focused on the study of equimolar refractory alloys fabricated using spark-plasma sintering. Mechanical properties of the samples were accumulated through sample preparation and tensile testing, as well as examining their structures using X-Ray Diffraction and electron microscopy. The findings from this study enabled us to refine and select desirable traits like body-centered cubic phases at equilibrium, mixture homogeneity, and nanometric grain size for their advanced nuclear application as well as alterations to amplify them.
High-Entropy Alloys for Nuclear Application
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have become increasingly popular in recent studies across multiple fields due to their outstanding ductility and performance throughout a large temperature range, as well as characteristics like superparamagnetism and superconductivity. These characteristics make HEAs highly desirable materials in novel and advanced nuclear applications where extreme conditions are prevalent. The fabrication and characterization of HEAs have been approached from various directions, traditionally and innovatively, to explore their capabilities and limitations. In this work, we focused on the study of equimolar refractory alloys fabricated using spark-plasma sintering. Mechanical properties of the samples were accumulated through sample preparation and tensile testing, as well as examining their structures using X-Ray Diffraction and electron microscopy. The findings from this study enabled us to refine and select desirable traits like body-centered cubic phases at equilibrium, mixture homogeneity, and nanometric grain size for their advanced nuclear application as well as alterations to amplify them.