MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF CYANATE ESTER/EPOXY BLENDS AFTER REACTOR IRRADIATION TO HIGH NEUTRON FLUENCES

Journal Article · Mon Mar 03 04:00:00 EST 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2900343· OSTI ID:21136735

Prokopec, R; Humer, K; Fillunger, H; Maix, R K; Weber, H W ^[1]

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1. Atomic Institute of the Austrian Universities, Vienna University of Technology, 1020 Wien (Austria)

The mechanical strength of conventional epoxy resins drops dramatically after irradiation to a fast neutron fluence of 1x10{sup 22} m{sup -2} (E>0.1 MeV). Recent results demonstrated that cyanate ester/epoxy blends were not affected at this fluence level. The aim of this study is to investigate the performance potential of these blends at higher fluence levels without significant degradation of their mechanical properties. Short-beam shear as well as static tensile tests were carried out at 77 K prior to and after irradiation to fast neutron fluences of up to 4x10{sup 22} m{sup -2} (E>0.1 MeV) in the TRIGA reactor at ambient temperature (340 K). In addition, load controlled tension-tension fatigue measurements were performed, in order to simulate the pulsed operation conditions of a tokamak. Initial results show that only a small reduction of the mechanical strength under static and dynamic load is observed at a fast neutron fluence of 2x10{sup 22} m{sup -2} (E>0.1 MeV). After exposure to 4x10{sup 22} m{sup -2} (E>0.1 MeV) the interlaminar shear strength of materials with a cyanate ester content of 40% or more is only reduced by 20% to 30%.

• OSTI ID: 21136735
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 986; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CYANATES
EPOXIDES
ESTERS
FATIGUE
IRRADIATION
MEV RANGE
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
REINFORCED MATERIALS
RESINS
SHEAR
SHEAR PROPERTIES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
TOKAMAK DEVICES