Modification by high energy ion irradiation of iron-alumina nano-composites

Abstract

This work reports on the current observations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of nano-composites irradiated by GeV heavy ions. The composite targets consist of nanometric Fe particles dispersed in a ceramic (Al2O3) powder. Large metal particles (∼ 30 nm diameter) are located over the alumina grain surface whereas smaller particles (∼ 10 nm) are directly epitaxied in the alumina grains. The TEM micrographs show that the surface distribution of the large particles and the orientation of the small Fe particles in the Al2O3 micrometer grains are changed by the irradiation. At high fluences, the grains of alumina are destroyed.