Oxygen-driven precipitate evolution and age-softening behavior in NbZrTi refractory multi-principal element alloys AITranslate

Basic Information:

DOI：

Chinese Library Classification Number:TG132.3[一般工业技术—材料科学与工程]

Citation Information:

Oxygen-induced microstructural evolution critically governs the long-term reliability of refractory multi-principal element alloys(RMPEAs)in extreme environments,where oxygen ingress during prolonged high-temperature service can drastically alter micro structural stability and mechanical performance,yet its atomic-scale mechanisms remain poorly understood.Here,oxygen's dual role in NbZrTi-based RMPEAs is systematically revealed through aging experiments at 650℃for 48and 168 h,combined with multiscale characterization.High-oxygen alloys(3 at.%O)exhibited multi-phase precipitation,including Zr-O-enriched hexagonal close-packed and dual body-centered cubic phases(Zr+Ti-O-rich and Nb+Ti-rich),governed by oxygen redistribution and thermodynamic stabilization.Contrary to conventional precipitation hardening,oxygen segregation gradients at the grain boundaries induced lattice distortion mitigation in the matrix,leading to a twostage age-softening behavior:rapid initial hardness reduction(20%within 48 h)followed by a plateau regime.The interplay between oxygen-mediated phase separation and concentration-dependent solute partitioning highlights the delicate balance required to optimize RMPEAs for high-temperature applications.These findings establish oxygen concentration thresholds and grain boundary engineering as critical design parameters for RMPEAs,enabling simultaneous optimization of radiation resistance and century-scale stability in next-generation nuclear reactor structure materials.