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Advanced Applications and Novel Technologies of Positron Annihilation

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2023) | Viewed by 12608

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Prof. Dr. Xingzhong Cao

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Guest Editor

Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Interests: microstructure of materials; methods and technologies of positorn annihilation spectum and it’s applications

Dr. Peng Kuang

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Guest Editor

Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Interests: methods and technologies of positorn annihilation; positron annihilation spectrum and slow positron beam; phonon detection and analysis with advanced detectors

Dr. Te Zhu

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
Interests: metal materials; microstructure characterization; irradiation effects; positron annihilation spectroscopy; corrosion resistance; mechanical properties

Dr. Eryang Lu

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Guest Editor

Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 43, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
Interests: microstructure characterization of materials; experimental physics; irradiation damage; tungsten-based materials; high-entropy alloys; positron annihilation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Positron Annihilation Technique (PAT) is an unique nuclear physics technique that can provide information about the microstructure in atomic scale, electron momentum distribution and defect state, and so on. It has been developed and widely applied for materials research in the past few decades. A lot of studies have focused on discovering and observing phenomena, improving experimental techniques, and proposing various theoretical models for tentative descriptions. So far, it has entered the stage of devoting to quantitative or semi-quantitative theoretical on physical processes and experimental research in the field of material science (such as solid-state physics, semiconductor, metal, polymer, surface physics, and superconducting physics), biology, chemistry and medicine. In special materials science research, positrons play an important role in atomic-level defect determination/identification and phase transition research. The development of sub-nanosecond nuclear electronics technology, submiradian-angle correlation measurement technology and high-energy resolution semiconductor detectors can finely measure the annihilation characteristics of positrons, so that the research and application of novel positron annihilation technology have been rapidly developed.

This Special Issue, “Advances Technologies and Applications of Novel Positron Annihilation”, will be a collection of full papers, short communications and review papers focusing on recent progress in the field of fundamental aspects, applications and devices based on them. The goal of the Special Issue is to provide a platform for positron researchers from all over the world to present their latest research results and new ideas.

Prof. Dr. Xingzhong Cao
Dr. Peng Kuang
Dr. Te Zhu
Dr. Eryang Lu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

positron physics
materials characterization
electron momentum
microstructure
nuclear electronics technology
advanced phonon detection and analysis
material science
surface physics

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 6311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Oxidation Behavior of Cr₂₀Mn₁₇Fe₁₈Ta₂₃W₂₂ and Microdefects Evolution Induced by Hydrogen Ions before and after Oxidation

by Bao-Zhen Wu, Te Zhu, Xing-Zhong Cao, Zhao-Ming Yang, Kun Zhang, Fu-Jun Gou and Yuan Wang

Materials 2022, 15(5), 1895; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15051895 - 03 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1388

Abstract

The oxidation behavior of body-centered cubic (bcc) structure Cr₂₀Mn₁₇Fe₁₈Ta₂₃W₂₂ refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) and the microdefects induced by hydrogen ions before and after oxidation were investigated. The results revealed that compared with oxidizing Cr₂₀Mn₁₇Fe₁₈Ta₂₃W₂₂ at 800 °C (6.7 °C/min) for 4 h (ST3, Ar:O₂ = 3:1), the heating procedure of oxidizing Cr₂₀Mn₁₇Fe₁₈Ta₂₃W₂₂ at 300 °C (6 °C/min) for 2 h and then increased to 800 °C (5 °C/min) for 4 h is more conducive to the production of oxides without spalling on the surface, i.e., HT1 (Ar:O₂ = 1:1), HT2 (Ar:O₂ = 2:1) and HT3 (Ar:O₂ = 3:1) samples. The oxidation of Cr₂₀Mn₁₇Fe₁₈Ta₂₃W₂₂ RHEA is mainly controlled by the diffusion of cations instead of affinities with O. Additionally, HT1 and HT3 samples irradiated with a fluence of 3.9 × 10²² cm⁻² hydrogen ions (60 eV) were found to have a better hydrogen irradiation resistance than Cr₂₀Mn₁₇Fe₁₈Ta₂₃W₂₂ RHEA. The microdefects in irradiated Cr₂₀Mn₁₇Fe₁₈Ta₂₃W₂₂ mainly existed as hydrogen bubbles, hydrogen-vacancy (H-V) complexes and vacancy/vacancy clusters. The microdefects in irradiated HT3 were mainly vacancies and H-V complexes, while the microdefects in irradiated HT1 mainly existed as vacancies and vacancy clusters, as large amounts of hydrogen were consumed to react with oxides on the HT1 surface. The oxides on the surface of the HT3 sample were more stable than those on HT1 under hydrogen irradiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Applications and Novel Technologies of Positron Annihilation)

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15 pages, 4126 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy Complex for Structural Defect Analysis in Metal–Hydrogen Systems

by Iurii Bordulev, Roman Laptev, Viktor Kudiiarov, Roman Elman, Alexander Popov, Denis Kabanov, Ivan Ushakov and Andrey Lider

Materials 2022, 15(5), 1823; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15051823 - 28 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1709

Abstract

The current work is devoted to developing a system for the complex research of metal–hydrogen systems, including in an in situ mode. The system consists of a controlled gas reactor with a unique reaction chamber, a radioisotope positron source, and a positron annihilation spectroscopy complex. The use of the system enables in situ investigation of the defect structure of solids in hydrogen sorption–desorption processes at temperatures up to 900 °C and pressures up to 50 bar. Experimental investigations of magnesium and magnesium hydride during thermal annealing were carried out to approve the possibilities of the developed complex. It was shown that one cycle of magnesium hydrogenation–dehydrogenation resulted in the accumulation of irreversible hydrogen-induced defects. The defect structure investigation of the magnesium–hydrogen system by positron annihilation techniques was supplemented with a comprehensive study by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and hydrogen sorption–desorption studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Applications and Novel Technologies of Positron Annihilation)

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13 pages, 4561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy Study of Metallic Materials after High-Speed Cutting

by Jinquan Li, Roman Laptev, Iurii Bordulev, Krzysztof Siemek, Pawel Horodek, Haolun Shen, Anton Lomygin and Jian Cui

Materials 2022, 15(3), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15031017 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2425

Abstract

During high-speed cutting, a white layer is often produced on the machined surfaces after mechanical machining, seriously affecting the mechanical properties. These properties are related to the material structure and the defects induced by cutting. However, there is a lack of research on the atomic-scale defects of the white layer. This paper studied the influence of cutting parameters, namely the feed rate, cutting speed and cutting depth, on atomic-scale defects induced by high-speed cutting in GCr15 steel. Positron annihilation studies showed typical plastically deformed or tempered carbon steel defects with additional vacancy cluster components. The quantity of these clusters changed with cutting parameters. Furthermore, significant changes were observed in the subsurface region up to 1 µm, occurring as a result of simultaneous phase transformations, deformation and thermal impacts. The predominant accumulation of only one type of atomic-scale defect was not observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Applications and Novel Technologies of Positron Annihilation)

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21 pages, 3404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Combined Atomic and Molecular Probe Characterization of Aromatic Hydrocarbons via PALS and ESR: Methylbenzene

by Josef Bartoš, Bożena Zgardzińska, Helena Švajdlenková, Barbara Charmas, Miroslava Lukešová, Konrad Wysogląd and Magdalena Goździuk

Materials 2022, 15(2), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15020462 - 08 Jan 2022

Viewed by 1570

Abstract

A combined study of one of the simplest aromatic hydrocarbons, i.e., methylbenzene (toluene) (TOL), via the annihilation of an ortho-positronium (o-Ps) probe via positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and the rotation dynamics of nitroxide spin probe 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidinyl-1-oxy (TEMPO) using electron spin resonance (ESR) over a wide temperature range, 10–300 K, is reported. The o-Ps lifetime, τ₃, and the relative o-Ps intensity, I₃, as a function of temperature exhibit changes defining several characteristic PALS temperatures in the slowly and rapidly cooled samples. Similarly, the spectral parameter of TEMPO mobility in TOL, 2A_zz‘, and its correlation time, τ_c, reveal several effects at a set of the characteristic ESR temperatures, which were determined and compared with the PALS results. Finally, the physical origins of the changes in free volume expansion and spin probe mobility are revealed. They are reflected in a series of the mutual coincidences between the characteristic PALS and ESR temperatures and appropriate complementary thermodynamic and dynamic techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Applications and Novel Technologies of Positron Annihilation)

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13 pages, 4464 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Microstructural Analysis of Novel Preceramic Paper-Derived SiC_f/SiC Composites

by Ke Li, Egor Kashkarov, Hailiang Ma, Ping Fan, Qiaoli Zhang, Peng Zhang, Jilong Zhang, Zhaohui Wu, Larissa Wahl, Roman Laptev, Andrey Lider, Nahum Travitzky and Daqing Yuan

Materials 2021, 14(22), 6737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14226737 - 09 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1917

Abstract

This paper presents the results of microstructural analysis of novel preceramic paper-derived SiCf/SiC composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The sintering temperature and pressure were 2100/2200 °C and 60/100 MPa, respectively. The content of fibers in the composites was approx. 10 wt %. The SiC_f/SiC composites were analyzed by positron annihilation methods, X-ray diffraction technology, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Longer sintering time causes the proportion of the 6H-SiC composition to increase to ~80%. The increase in sintering temperature from 2100 °C to 2200 °C leads to partial transition of 4H-SiC to 6H-SiC during the sintering process, and the long-life component of positrons indicates the formation of Si vacancies. The Raman characteristic peaks of turbostratic graphite appear in the Raman spectrum of SiC fibers, this is caused by the diffusion of carbon from the surface of the SiC fiber and the preceramic paper during the high-temperature sintering process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Applications and Novel Technologies of Positron Annihilation)

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11 pages, 1324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Open Porosity and Pore Size Distribution of Mesoporous Silica Films Investigated by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy and Ellipsometric Porosimetry

by Bangyun Xiong, Jingjing Li, Chunqing He, Jiale Lai, Xiangjia Liu and Tao Huang

Materials 2021, 14(12), 3371; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14123371 - 18 Jun 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1677

Abstract

Tunable mesoporous silica films were prepared though a sol-gel process directed by the self-assembly of various triblock copolymers. Positron annihilation γ-ray energy spectroscopy and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) based on intense pulsed slow positron beams as well as ellipsometric porosimetry (EP) combined with heptane adsorption were utilized to characterize the open porosity/interconnectivity and pore size distribution for the prepared films. The consistency between the open porosities was examined by the variations of orthopositronium (o-Ps) 3γ annihilation fractions and the total adsorbed volumes of heptane. The average pore sizes deduced by PALS from the longest-lived o-Ps lifetimes are in good agreement with those by EP on the basis of the Barrett–Joyner–Halenda model, as indicated by a well fitted line of slope k = 1. The results indicate that the EP combined with heptane adsorption is a useful method with high sensitivity for calibrating the mesopore size in highly interconnected mesoporous films, whereas PALS is a novel, complementary tool for characterizing both closed and open pores in them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Applications and Novel Technologies of Positron Annihilation)

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