Study on the creep behavior and mechanisms of Ti3AlC2 MAX phase under ion irradiation

• Published in: Journal of the European Ceramic Society 2025-05, Vol.45 (5), Article 117134
• Main Authors: Cheng, Zhaoyi, Sun, Jianrong, Zhang, Linqi, Deng, Tianyu, Yi, Wen, Chen, Huaican, Chang, Hailong, Tai, Pengfei, Tian, Yinan, Li, Jian, Zhang, Wei, Gao, Pengcheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Creep; Creep strain rate; Creep stress exponent; Irradiation; MAX phase
• ISSN: 0955-2219
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2024.117134

The creep properties of structural materials under extreme irradiation are crucial for the safety and stability of nuclear facilities. This work investigates the effect of irradiation on creep behavior of Ti3AlC2 MAX phase material, focusing on irradiation fluence (dose) and temperature. Interestingly, we discover for the first time that the relationship between the creep stress exponent (n) and irradiation fluence (ɸ) in Ti3AlC2 satisfies n=A∙lnɸ+B, enhancing the understanding of irradiation's impact on the Ti3AlC2 MAX phase. Additionally, the creep strain rate (ε̇) in Ti3AlC2 correlates with irradiation temperature (T) as ε̇=E∙(e−1T)F+G. Results show that the creep stress exponent in irradiated Ti3AlC2 increases with fluence and decreases with temperature, surpassing unirradiated samples, while the strain rate follows the opposite trend. Compared to other candidate materials, Ti3AlC2 MAX phase demonstrates excellent creep resistance under irradiation. These findings provide valuable insights for developing advanced nuclear structural materials. •Creep stress exponent n and irradiation fluence ɸ in Ti3AlC2 follows n=A∙lnɸ+B.•Creep strain rate ε̇ in Ti3AlC2 with irradiation fluence ɸ satisfies ε̇=Clnɸ+D.•Creep strain rate ε̇ and irradiation temperature T in Ti3AlC2 meets ε̇=E∙(e−1T)F+G.•Ti3AlC2 MAX phase demonstrates excellent creep resistance under irradiation.