A First-Principles Study on Na and O Adsorption Behaviors on Mo (110) Surface

Molybdenum-rhenium alloys are usually used as the wall materials for high-temperature heat pipes using liquid sodium as heat-transfer medium. The corrosion of Mo in liquid Na is a key challenge for heat pipes. In addition, oxygen impurity also plays an important role in affecting the alloy resistance to Na liquid. In this article, the adsorption and diffusion behaviors of Na atom on Mo (110) surface are theoretically studied using first-principles approach, and the effects of alloy Re and impurity O atoms are investigated. The result shows that the Re alloy atom can strengthen the attractive interactions between Na/O and the Mo substrate, and the existence of Na or O atom on the Mo surface can slower down the Na diffusion by increasing diffusion barrier. The surface vacancy formation energy is also calculated. For the Mo (110) surface, the Na/O co-adsorption can lead to a low vacancy formation energy of 0.47 eV, which indicates the dissolution of Mo is a potential corrosion mechanism in the liquid Na environment with O impurities. It is worth noting that Re substitution atom can protect the Mo surface by increasing the vacancy formation energy to 1.06 eV.

Automated summary

In this study, the adsorption and diffusion behaviors of sodium atoms on the molybdenum surface were theoretically investigated using first-principles approach. Results showed that the presence of alloy rhenium atoms enhanced attractive interactions between sodium/oxygen and the molybdenum substrate, while sodium or oxygen atoms on the surface slowed down sodium diffusion by increasing the diffusion barrier.Additionally, the formation energy of surface vacancies was calculated, with sodium/oxygen co-adsorption leading to a low vacancy formation energy, indicating the potential corrosion mechanism in a liquid sodium environment with oxygen impurities. It was found that rhenium substitution atoms could protect the molybdenum surface by increasing the vacancy formation energy.