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Investigation of structural evolution in the Cu-Zr metallic glass at cryogenic temperatures by using molecular dynamics simulations. J Mol Model 2021; 27:286. [PMID: 34524543 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-021-04886-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In the present work, investigation of structural evolution of Cu33Zr67 specimen during the cooling process from 2500 down to the 300 K, 200 K, 150 K, 100 K, 50 K, and 10 K has been performed at cooling rate of 5 K/ps using molecular dynamics simulation. The pair distribution function (PDF) reveals that Zr‒Zr pair causes the splitting of the first peak of the Cu33Zr67 glass at a lower temperature with an increase in height. Splitting of the first and second peaks supports the presence of the inhomogeneous structure with a statistical average of crystal-like and disordered structural regions in the Cu33Zr67 glass. Voronoi cluster analysis indicated that quasi icosahedral clusters such as < 284 > , < 0285 > , and < 0282 > ; mixed-type cluster such as < 0364 > ; and crystal-like clusters such as < 0446 > are responsible for stabilization of glassy phase at 300 K, 200 K, 150 K, 100 K, 50 K, and 10 K. Similarly, the maximum population of the Cu-centered and Zr-centered < 0286 > quasi icosahedral clusters support the stability of the glassy phase over the studied temperature range. Besides, the maximum population of Cu-centered < 0367 > and Zr-centered < 0364 > , < 0367 > , < 0363 > , and < 0365 > mixed-type clusters and Cu-centered < 0448 > and Zr-centered < 0448 > , < 0445 > , < 0446 > , and < 0444 > crystal-like clusters support the possibility of the presence of intermediate phase of CuZr2 at lower temperatures as observed from PDFs. Mean square displacement (MSD) for the Cu33Zr67 glass shows that the diffusion coefficient of Cu and Zr atoms reduces with decreasing temperature from 300 to 10 K. Diversity parameter (d) was found to decrease with decreasing temperature.
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Yang L, Li HY, Wang PW, Wu SY, Guo GQ, Liao B, Guo QL, Fan XQ, Huang P, Lou HB, Guo FM, Zeng QS, Sun T, Ren Y, Chen LY. Structural responses of metallic glasses under neutron irradiation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16739. [PMID: 29196681 PMCID: PMC5711955 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17099-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Seeking nuclear materials that possess a high resistance to particle irradiation damage is a long-standing issue. Permanent defects, induced by irradiation, are primary structural changes, the accumulation of which will lead to structural damage and performance degradation in crystalline materials served in nuclear plants. In this work, structural responses of neutron irradiation in metallic glasses (MGs) have been investigated by making a series of experimental measurements, coupled with simulations in ZrCu amorphous alloys. It is found that, compared with crystalline alloys, MGs have some specific structural responses to neutron irradiation. Although neutron irradiation can induce transient vacancy-like defects in MGs, they are fully annihilated after structural relaxation by rearrangement of free volumes. In addition, the rearrangement of free volumes depends strongly on constituent elements. In particular, the change in free volumes occurs around the Zr atoms, rather than the Cu centers. This implies that there is a feasible strategy for identifying glassy materials with high structural stability against neutron irradiation by tailoring the microstructures, the systems, or the compositions in alloys. This work will shed light on the development of materials with high irradiation resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Yang
- College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P.R. China.
| | - H Y Li
- College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P.R. China
| | - P W Wang
- College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P.R. China
| | - S Y Wu
- College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P.R. China
| | - G Q Guo
- College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P.R. China
| | - B Liao
- College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P.R. China
| | - Q L Guo
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO, 65409, USA
| | - X Q Fan
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, P.R. China
| | - P Huang
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, P.R. China
| | - H B Lou
- Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), 1690 Cailun Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, P.R. China
| | - F M Guo
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, 60439, USA
| | - Q S Zeng
- Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), 1690 Cailun Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, P.R. China
| | - T Sun
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, 60439, USA
| | - Y Ren
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, 60439, USA
| | - L Y Chen
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO, 65409, USA
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