Real-Time Observation of Nanoscale Kink Band Mediated Plasticity in Ion-Irradiated Graphite: An In Situ TEM Study

Graphite IG-110 is a synthetic polycrystalline material used as a neutron moderator in reactors. Graphite is inherently brittle and is known to exhibit a further increase in brittleness due to radiation damage at room temperature. To understand the irradiation effects on pre-existing defects and their overall influence on external load, micropillar compression tests were performed using in situ nanoindentation in the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for both pristine and ion-irradiated samples. While pristine specimens showed brittle and subsequent catastrophic failure, the 2.8 MeV Au²⁺ ion (fluence of 4.378 × 10¹⁴ cm^-2) irradiated specimens sustained extensive plasticity at room temperature without failure. In situ TEM characterization showed nucleation of nanoscale kink band structures at numerous sites, where the localized plasticity appeared to close the defects and cracks while allowing large average strain. We propose that compressive mechanical stress due to dimensional change during ion irradiation transforms buckled basal layers in graphite into kink bands. The externally applied load during the micropillar tests proliferates the nucleation and motion of kink bands to accommodate the large plastic strain. The inherent non-uniformity of graphite microstructure promotes such strain localization, making kink bands the predominant mechanism behind unprecedented toughness in an otherwise brittle material.