Development of Ultrapure Electrolytic Cu-Cr Alloys
EMSL Project ID
49058
Abstract
The next generation of low background experiments searching for extremely rare processes require ultra-clean materials, containing the smallest obtainable amounts of naturally occurring radioactive uranium (U) and thorium (Th) decay-chain contaminants. Most materials contain trace amounts of U and Th, ranging from the microgram/gram to the nanogram/gram contaminant level. Contaminants at these levels will produce unacceptable backgrounds in many of the planned new experiments, such as the search for dark matter and WIMPs. The development of radiopure copper (Cu) and its alloys is being conducted through a DOE Office of Science Graduate Research fellowship utilizing the research facilities at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The goal of this research is to develop a radiopure material with better mechanical properties than the currently electroformed copper used in the Majorana Demonstrator and with higher purity than currently developed intermetallics. Addition of a second phase particles into ductile metals such as copper is a strengthening mechanism. This research advances exploration of electrodeposition of alloys in several areas where there is very little research completed. One such area is exploration into alloys with constituent elements of significantly different electrode potentials resulting in the radiopure, stronger intermetallics needed by next generation physics detectors. Investigating the complex crystallographic lattices and orientations developed in the radiopure alloys with electron microscopy reveal relationships between plating and alloying parameters with mechanical response.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2016-03-21
End Date
2016-05-21
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator