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Multi-Scale microscopy of Reactive sintered boride (RSB) neutron shielding materials
Protecting superconducting magnets from neutron irradiation is critically important when demonstrating the utility of spherical tokamaks. Reactive Sintered Borides (RSBs) are promising radiation-dense materials and excellent attenuators of slow (<10 keV) neutrons. No experimental radiation data yet exists on RSBs, hence the need to establish a baseline of RSB microstructure prior to studies on radiation response and aging of RSBs in an active fusion environment.This work investigates the structure and composition of RSB materials over 5 orders of magnitude. SEM, TEM-EDX, atom probe tomography (APT) and XRD were evaluated the microstructure of a selection of RSB compositions. Sintered RSBs were observed to be dominated by FeWB/FeW2B2 bodies, mixed tungsten borides and WC as the key hard phases present. TEM and SEM detected a complex Fe-rich alloy with near-pure Fe interstitial phases. Key findings from this work are that (i) carbon balance is as significant as boron content when considering microstructure and phase presence;(ii) FeWB/FeW2B2 growth is highly temperature dependant and (iii) dense, coherent RSB formation is contingent on the total boron and carbon atomic percentage (B + C)at% is 40 % < x ≤ 50 %.
Multi-Scale microscopy of Reactive sintered boride (RSB) neutron shielding materials
Protecting superconducting magnets from neutron irradiation is critically important when demonstrating the utility of spherical tokamaks. Reactive Sintered Borides (RSBs) are promising radiation-dense materials and excellent attenuators of slow (<10 keV) neutrons. No experimental radiation data yet exists on RSBs, hence the need to establish a baseline of RSB microstructure prior to studies on radiation response and aging of RSBs in an active fusion environment.This work investigates the structure and composition of RSB materials over 5 orders of magnitude. SEM, TEM-EDX, atom probe tomography (APT) and XRD were evaluated the microstructure of a selection of RSB compositions. Sintered RSBs were observed to be dominated by FeWB/FeW2B2 bodies, mixed tungsten borides and WC as the key hard phases present. TEM and SEM detected a complex Fe-rich alloy with near-pure Fe interstitial phases. Key findings from this work are that (i) carbon balance is as significant as boron content when considering microstructure and phase presence;(ii) FeWB/FeW2B2 growth is highly temperature dependant and (iii) dense, coherent RSB formation is contingent on the total boron and carbon atomic percentage (B + C)at% is 40 % < x ≤ 50 %.
Multi-Scale microscopy of Reactive sintered boride (RSB) neutron shielding materials
J.M. Marshall (author) / F. Tang (author) / Y. Han (author) / P.A.J. Bagot (author) / M.P. Moody (author)
2022
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
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