EXAFS and SAXS studies of ZrCo alloy doped with Hf, Sc and Ti atoms

The local structures of ZrCo alloy doped with Hf, Sc and Ti atoms before and after hydrogenation were studied by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique. For all the samples, the length of the Co–Zr bond increased and the coordination numbers of Co reduced after hydrogenation. As the Hf, Sc and Ti atoms came into the ZrCo alloy, the lengths of the Co–Zr bond varied. The ingoing Ti atoms had shortened the Co–Zr bond lengths from 2.74 to 2.62 Å in the pre-hydrogenation, whereas all of the doped atoms had no obvious effect in the post-hydrogenation. Also the size distribution of the nanoparticles in the as-cast and hydrogenated Zr–Co alloy was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique.