Journal
ACTA MATERIALIA
Volume 119, Issue -, Pages 1-8Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2016.08.005
Keywords
Electrophobic interaction; Impurity clustering; Metals
Funding
- National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Program [2013GB109002]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [11405006, 51325103]
- China Scholarship Council [201506025054]
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center User Facility
- Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy
- DOE-BES [DE-FG02-04ER46148]
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We introduce the concept of electrophobic interaction, analogous to hydrophobic interaction, for describing the behavior of impurity atoms in a metal, a solvent of electrons. We demonstrate that there exists a form of electrophobic interaction between impurities with closed electron shell structure, which governs their dissolution behavior in a metal. Using He, Be and Ar as examples, we predict by first principles calculations that the electrophobic interaction drives He, Be or Ar to form a close-packed cluster with a clustering energy that follows a universal power-law scaling with the number of atoms (N) dissolved in a free electron gas, as well as W or Al lattice, as E-c proportional to (N-2/3-N). This new concept unifies the explanation for a series of experimental observations of close-packed inert-gas bubble formation in metals, and significantly advances our fundamental understanding and capacity to predict the solute behavior of impurities in metals, a useful contribution to be considered in future material design of metals for nuclear, metallurgical, and energy applications. (C) 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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