Structure of Oxides Grown on Zr-20Nb Alloy

Abstract

AbstractOxides grown on Zr-20Nb were characterized by Raman Spectroscopy (RS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). These oxides were steamformed at 400°C, water-formed at 360 °C and at 300 °C, and air-grown at 400°C. For the oxides grown after relatively short exposures at 360°C and at 400°C, Raman spectra revealed broad peaks at 260 and 660 cm− indicating a crystal structure with high symmetry. Comparison with reference Raman spectra of cubic (c), tetragonal (t), and monoclinic (m) ZrO2 suggested that the oxide was predominantly nearly-cubic (tetragonal with c/a ratio ≈ 1), with minor amounts of moxide. The tetragonality is found to be consistent with TEM analyses and XRD results which showed the presence of a doublet near 2θ ° 74°. The crystal structure in the short-term exposed oxides is interpreted in terms of a tetragonal distortion arising from the displacement of oxygen atoms within the cubic ZrO2 crystal structure. For oxides grown after longer periods of exposure at 300°C and at 400°C, RS and XRD indicate increased amounts of m-oxide.