Study made of corrosion resistance of stainless steel and nickel alloys in nuclear reactor superheaters

Experiments performed under conditions found in nuclear reactor superheaters determine the corrosion rate of stainless steel and nickel alloys used in them. Electropolishing was the primary surface treatment before the corrosion test. Corrosion is determined by weight loss of specimens after defilming

Raman microscopy of lithium-manganese-rich transition metal oxide cathodes

Lithium-rich and manganese-rich (LMR) layered transition metal (TM) oxide composites with general formula xLi2MnO3 • (1- x)LiMO2 (M = Ni, Co, Mn) are promising cathode candidates for high energy density lithium ion batteries. Lithium-manganese-rich TM oxides crystallize as a nanocomposite layered phase whose structure further evolves with electrochemical cycling. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool to monitor the crystal chemistry and correlate phase changes with electrochemical behavior. While several groups have reported Raman spectra of lithium rich TM oxides, the data show considerable variability in terms of both the vibrational features observed and their interpretation. In this study, Raman microscopy is used to investigate lithium-rich and manganese-rich TM cathodes as a function of voltage and electrochemical cycling at various temperatures. No growth of a spinel phase is observed within the cycling conditions. However, analysis of the Raman spectra does indicate the structure of LMR-NMC deviates significantly from an ideal layered phase. The results also highlight the importance of using low laser power and large sample sizes to obtain consistent data sets

Stress corrosion cracking behavior of irradiated model austenitic stainless steel alloys.

Slow-strain-rate tensile tests (SSRTs) and posttest fractographic analyses by scanning electron microscopy were conducted on 16 austenitic stainless steel (SS) alloys that were irradiated at 289 C in He. After irradiation to {approx}0.3 x 10{sup 21} n{center_dot}cm{sup {minus}2} and {approx}0.9 x 10{sup 21} n{center_dot}cm{sup {minus}2} (E >1 MeV), significant heat-to-heat variations in the degree of intergranular and transgranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC and TGSCC) were observed. Following irradiation to a fluence of {approx}0.3 x 10{sup 21} n{center_dot}cm{sup {minus}2}, a high-purity laboratory heat of Type 316L SS (Si {approx} 0.024 wt%) exhibited the highest susceptibility to IGSCC. The other 15 alloys exhibited negligible susceptibility to IGSCC at this low fluence. The percentage of TGSCC on the fracture surfaces of SSRT specimens of the 16 alloys at {approx}0.3 x 10{sup 21} n{center_dot}cm{sup {minus}2} (E > 1 MeV) could be correlated well with N and Si concentrations; all alloys that contained <0.01 wt.% N and <1.0 wt. % Si were susceptible, whereas all alloys that contained >0.01 wt.% N or >1.0 wt.% Si were relatively resistant. High concentrations of Cr were beneficial. Alloys that contain <15.5 wt.% Cr exhibited greater percentages of TGSCC and IGSCC than those alloys with {approx}18 wt.% Cr, whereas an alloy that contains >21 wt.% Cr exhibited less susceptibility than the lower-Cr alloys under similar conditions

A Wireless Multi-Channel Recording System for Freely Behaving Mice and Rats

To understand the neural basis of behavior, it is necessary to record brain activity in freely moving animals. Advances in implantable multi-electrode array technology have enabled researchers to record the activity of neuronal ensembles from multiple brain regions. The full potential of this approach is currently limited by reliance on cable tethers, with bundles of wires connecting the implanted electrodes to the data acquisition system while impeding the natural behavior of the animal. To overcome these limitations, here we introduce a multi-channel wireless headstage system designed for small animals such as rats and mice. A variety of single unit and local field potential signals were recorded from the dorsal striatum and substantia nigra in mice and the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex simultaneously in rats. This wireless system could be interfaced with commercially available data acquisition systems, and the signals obtained were comparable in quality to those acquired using cable tethers. On account of its small size, light weight, and rechargeable battery, this wireless headstage system is suitable for studying the neural basis of natural behavior, eliminating the need for wires, commutators, and other limitations associated with traditional tethered recording systems

Environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactors. Semiannual report, July 1998-December 1998.

This report summarizes work performed by Argonne National Laboratory on fatigue and environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) in light water reactors from July 1998 to December 1998. Topics that have been investigated include (a) environmental effects on fatigue S-N behavior of primary pressure boundary materials, (b) irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels (SSs), and (c) EAC of Alloys 600 and 690. Fatigue tests have been conducted to determine the crack initiation and crack growth characteristics of austenitic SSs in LWR environments. Procedures are presented for incorporating the effects of reactor coolant environments on the fatigue life of pressure vessel and piping steels. Slow-strain-rate tensile tests and posttest fractographic analyses were conducted on several model SS alloys irradiated to {approx}0.3 and 0.9 x 10{sup 21} n {center_dot} cm{sup -2} (E > 1 MeV) in helium at 289 C in the Halden reactor. The results have been used to determine the influence of alloying and impurity elements on the susceptibility of these steels to irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking. Fracture toughness J-R curve tests were also conducted on two heats of Type 304 SS that were irradiated to {approx}0.3 x 10{sup 21} n {center_dot} cm{sup -2} in the Halden reactor. Crack-growth-rate tests have been conducted on compact-tension specimens of Alloys 600 and 690 under constant load to evaluate the resistance of these alloys to stress corrosion cracking in LWR environments

Irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels: Recent progress and new approaches

Irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) of several types of BWR field components fabricated from solution-annealed austenitic stainless steels (SSs), including a core internal weld, were investigated by means of slow-strain-rate test (SSRT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and field-emission-gun advanced analytical electron microscopy (FEG-AAEM). Based on the results of the tests and analyses, separate effects of neutron fluence, tensile properties, alloying elements and major impurities identified in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications, minor impurities, water chemistry, and fabrication-related variables were determined. The results indicate strongly that minor impurities not specified by the ASTM-specifications play important roles, probably through a complex synergism with grain-boundary Cr depletion. These impurities, typically associated with steelmaking and component fabrication processes, are very low or negligible in solubility in steels and are the same impurities that have been known to promote intergranular SCC significantly when they are present in water as ions or soluble compounds. It seems obvious that IASCC is a complex integral problem which involves many variables that are influenced strongly by not only irradiation conditions, water chemistry, and stress but also iron and steelmaking processes, fabrication of the component, and joining and welding. Therefore, for high-stress components in particular, it would be difficult to mitigate IASCC problems at high fluence based on the consideration of water chemistry alone, and other considerations based on material composition and fabrication procedure would be necessary as well

Multiplexed, High Density Electrophysiology with Nanofabricated Neural Probes

Extracellular electrode arrays can reveal the neuronal network correlates of behavior with single-cell, single-spike, and sub-millisecond resolution. However, implantable electrodes are inherently invasive, and efforts to scale up the number and density of recording sites must compromise on device size in order to connect the electrodes. Here, we report on silicon-based neural probes employing nanofabricated, high-density electrical leads. Furthermore, we address the challenge of reading out multichannel data with an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) performing signal amplification, band-pass filtering, and multiplexing functions. We demonstrate high spatial resolution extracellular measurements with a fully integrated, low noise 64-channel system weighing just 330 mg. The on-chip multiplexers make possible recordings with substantially fewer external wires than the number of input channels. By combining nanofabricated probes with ASICs we have implemented a system for performing large-scale, high-density electrophysiology in small, freely behaving animals that is both minimally invasive and highly scalable