Positron annihilation spectroscopy of vacancy-type defects hierarchy in submicrocrystalline nickel during annealing

Positron annihilation and X-ray diffraction analysis have been used to study submicrocrystalline nickel samples prepared by equal channel angular pressing. In the as-prepared samples the positrons are trapped at dislocation-type defects and in vacancy clusters that can include up to 5 vacancies. The study has revealed that the main positron trap centers at the annealing temperature of deltaT= 20°C-180°C are low-angle boundaries enriched by impurities. At deltaT = 180°C-360°C, the trap centers are low-angle boundaries providing the grain growth due to recrystallization in-situ