0000000000866449
AUTHOR
A. Fabre
Probing Physical Properties of Confined Fluids within Individual Nanobubbles
Spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has been used to investigate as fluidic phase in nanoubbles embedded in a metallic Pd90Pt10 matrix. Using the 1s->2p excitation of the He atoms, maps of the He distribution, in particular of its density an pressure in bubbles of different diameter have been realized, thus providing an indication of the involved bubble formation mechanism. However, the short-range Pauli repulsion mechanism between electrons on neighboring atoms seems insufficient to interpret minute variations of the local local measurements performed at the interface between the metal and the He bubble. Simul…
On the correlation between mechanical and TEM studies of the aging of palladium during tritium storage
Abstract Tritium has considerable technological applications in nuclear industry. Since it is a radioactive element, its storage is often considered in the form of tritides which ensure the required safety. However, the decay of tritium into 3 He alters the tritide properties during aging. With the aim of understanding the aging mechanisms of palladium tritide, a macroscale approach coupled with a microscopic study was performed on palladium aged up to eight months after tritium loading. The macroscale investigation based on the vibration of microcantilevers allowed the mechanical response of the material to be followed during its aging. The microscopic study was performed by Transmission E…