Phase Stability of Crystalline and Amorphous Phases and Formation of Nanostructure in Zr-Pd and Zr-Pt Alloys Under Electron Irradiation

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Electron irradiation induced phase transition behavior of Zr-Pd and Zr-Pt alloys was investigated focusing on phase selection in crystallization by thermal annealing and electron irradiation. Nano quasi-crystalline (QC) phase was formed by thermal crystallization in Zr<jats:sub>66.7</jats:sub>Pd<jats:sub>33.3</jats:sub> and Zr<jats:sub>80</jats:sub>Pt<jats:sub>20</jats:sub> alloys, while nano two-type f.c.c. super-saturated solid solutions were formed by irradiation induced crystallization at 298K. In Zr<jats:sub>66.7</jats:sub>Pt<jats:sub>33.3</jats:sub> alloy, polycrystalline Zr<jats:sub>5</jats:sub>Pt<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> and Zr<jats:sub>9</jats:sub>Pt<jats:sub>11</jats:sub> phases transformed to two-type f.c.c. nano-crystalline phase through an amorphous state by crystal-to-amorphous-to-crystal (C-A-C) transition during electron irradiation. Nano-composite phase composed of f.c.c. super-saturated solid solution and residual amorphous phase was stable rather than an amorphous single phase, thermal equilibrium crystalline phase and quasi-crystalline phase under 2.0MV electron irradiation at 298K, resulting in the formation of nano-composite structure by irradiation induced amorphization and crystallization.</jats:p>