Modification of the Structure and Nano-Mechanical Properties of LiF Crystals Under Irradiation with Swift Heavy Ions
The modifications of the structure and hardness of LiF crystals under high-fluence irradiation with MeV- and GeV-energy Au ions have been studied using nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy. The formation of ion-induced dislocations and bulk nanostructures consisting of grains with nanoscale dimensions (50 nm - 100 nm) has been observed. The structural modifications are accompanied by a strong ion-induced hardening which is related to dislocation impeding by assemblies of defect aggregates, dislocation loops of vacancy and interstitial types and grain boundaries. For MeV ions, the modifications are localized in a thin surface layer (few mm) where much higher density of deposited energ…
<title>Heavy-ion induced damage and reduction of dislocation mobility in LiF single crystals</title>
Ion-induced reduction of dislocation mobility in LiF crystals irradiated with swift heavy (U) and light (Ni) ions of a specific energy of 11 MeV per nucleon at fluences between 106 and 1011 ions/cm2 was studied. The arm length of dislocation rosettes produced by indentation on (100) irradiated surface was measured. It has been found that in the case of heavy ions the threshold fluence (106 ions/cm2) for impeding of dislocation arms is about 3 orders of magnitude lower than that for light ions. The results indicate that ion-induced defect aggregates play the dominating role in the impeding of dislocations. Heavy ions, which produce defect aggregates in the track core, cause also a stronger e…
Mechanical properties and accommodation processes on metallic interfaces
Bimetallic joints Al/Pb, Al/Sn, Pb/Sn, Pb/Pb, etc. with clean interfaces, obtained by a special cold welding method, are used as a model of phase boundaries for investigation of accommodation processes and strength properties of interfaces. To reduce the volume diffusion-induced relaxation processes, investigations were carried out at relatively low temperatures 0.1-0.5 T m . The role of surface diffusion and the effect of phase boundary energy on the healing of micropore ensembles on interfaces was investigated. The accommodation processes on the phase boundaries are considered as a result of mechanoactivation of both the interaction and structure formation of such non-equilibrium systems.…
A vacuum cell for obtaining clean surfaces on liquid low melting point metals
Abstract Clean oxide film-free surface of liquid gallium was obtained in a sealed vacuum cell with a glass lid for observation. The cell was evacuated to high vacuum (10 -4 Pa) before admission of liquid and sealing. The surface contamination was about 2–5% of the free area and did not exhibit noticeable increase during several months of storing and employing the cell. The cell described allows observation of surface flows, capillary phenomena and crystallization processes under different conditions.
Shear banding mechanism of plastic deformation in LiF irradiated with swift heavy ions
The effect of ion irradiation on the behavior of plastic deformation at micro- and nanoindentation on (001) face of LiF has been investigated. The irradiation was performed using heavy ions (U, Au, Ti and S) with energy in the range from 3 MeV to 2 GeV at fluences up to 5x1013 ions/cm2. In non-irradiated LiF, the indentation produces dislocation gliding on the {110} planes along the and directions. At high fluence irradiation, the resource of the dislocation slip along the preferable directions becomes exhausted due to immobilization of dislocations by radiation defects and their aggregates. The present study demonstrates the change of the mechanism of plastic deformation from homogenous di…
Depth profiles of hardening in lithium fluoride irradiated with swift58Ni ions
The changes of hardness and dislocation formation in LiF crystals irradiated with 630-MeV 58Ni ions up to a dose of 20 MGy were studied by microindentation and dislocation etching techniques. Above the threshold fluence of 2 × 1010 ions/cm2, a marked effect of hardening, which is related mainly to damage processes in the track core, has been observed. Its magnitude depends on ion fluence and energy loss. To investigate the depth distribution of hardening, indentation tests on crystal cross sections cleaved parallel to ion flux were performed. It has been found that the hardness change along the ion path correlates with the ion energy loss and reaches the highest value at the Bragg maximum. …
Size effects in micro- and nanoscale indentation
Abstract The indentation size effect (ISE) has been studied in single crystals, polycrystals and amorphous solids using the Vickers microhardness test. The ISE is clearly present in single crystals but is absent in fine-grained polycrystals. A size-dependent hardness for amorphous solids is observed only in the sub-micrometre surface layer. The behaviour of the ISE in single crystals for micro- and nanoindentation is compared. Estimates of the surface hardness are made by the extrapolation of the experimental hardness–indentation depth curves. The extrapolated hardness in the surface region reaches values corresponding to the theoretical shear strength. The results confirm the multifarious …
<title>Hardening and long-range stress effects in LiF caused by high-fluence irradiation with fast Bi, Ni, Kr, and S ions</title>
The limits of the hardening, and the effects of ion-induced internal and long-range stresses in LiF crystals irradiated with Bi, Ni, Kr, and S ions, having a specific energy of the order of 10 MeV/u and the fluence up to 1013cm-2, are studied. A considerable hardness increase, bending of the crystals, formation of dislocations in distant nonirradiated parts of the crystals, and initiation of fracturing under the high-fluence irradiation are observed. It is shown that the irradiation with heavy ions (Bi) gives rise to dislocations and work hardening mainly in the region adjacent to the irradiated one. In the case of lighter ions (Ni and S), the work hardening takes place also inside the irra…
<title>Hardening in LiF, induced by fast Kr and Ni ions, and recovery of the structure and properties under annealing</title>
The recovery of optical and mechanical properties of LiF crystals irradiated with 790 MeV 78Kr and 640 MeV 58Ni ions at 10l2 ions/cm2 under annealing at temperatures up to 810 K is investigated. The optical absorbance and depth profiles of hardness before and after annealing were measured. A marked recovery of hardness and change in the optical absorption spectra were observed at temperatures above 520-530 K. An activation energy of 0.15±0.02eV, which is close to that for the thermal migration of H centers, is obtained from the annealing data. The results indicate a significant role of the H-center aggregates in the hardening and annealing processes. The maximum hardening is created and the…
Methods of controllable internal rupture in solids and liquids for obtaining atomically-clean surfaces and investigating their adhesion
Controllable internal rupture (CIR) methods for obtaining atomically-clean solid surfaces and closed ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) space are described. A number of modifications of CIR methods have been developed. Their performance, characteristics and applications for investigation of adhesion are considered. CIR methods are based on the creation of virgin atomically-clean rupture surfaces in the bulk of solids during deformation of specially manufactured heterogeneous systems. For all modifications of the method, the samples have been manufactured in the form of vacuum-tight capsules and the investigation procedure has been carried out in atmospheric conditions. CIR methods, in addition to well-…
Ion-induced hardening in LiF: Energy loss and fluence effects
The behavior of hardening of LiF crystals irradiated with swift Au, Pb, Bi, Kr, Ni, Ti and S ions with a specific energy of 10 MeV/u is analyzed. The dispersion strengthening as the main mechanism of hardening is verified.
Structure, micromechanical and magnetic properties of polycarbonate nanocomposites
The current study evaluates the applicability of polycarbonate (PC) for development of magnetic polymer nanocomposites with CoFe2O4 nanofiller, the amount of which was changed from 0 to 5 wt. %. Ethylene-vinyl acetate elastomer in the amount of 10 wt. % was added as toughener. Upon introduction of the magnetic filler a magnetic hysteresis loop was observed: at 5 wt.% of CoFe2O4 saturation magnetization of the nanocomposite was 2,2 emu/g, remanent magnetization was 0,8 emu/g and coercivity is 1200 G. Nanoindentation tests showed that nanofiller-reinforced samples maintain reasonable plasticity characterized by work of plastic indentation, while their modulus and hardness were improved by up …