The association of hydrogen with nanometre bubbles of helium implanted into zirconium

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is used to investigate the association of hydrogen with helium bubbles in zirconium. Conventional EELS data yield a signal at 13.5 eV (similar to the hydrogen K-edge, 13 eV), which is spatially distributed around the peripheries of bubbles and may correlate with the concentration of hydrogen/deuterium in the material. Ultra-high energy resolution EELS yields a signal at 148.6 meV (comparable to a range of Zr-H bonds, 130-156 meV) from a region containing bubbles and no visible hydrides. These signals are interpreted in the context of either bubble surface chemisorption or bubble stress field trapping mechanisms. Crown Copyright (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc. This is an open access article under the Open Government License.