Low-temperature radiation embrittlement of copper alloys

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:211629

Zinkle, S J ^[1]; Edwards, D J ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
2. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

The effect of low-temperature (T{sub irr} less than 0.3. T{sub melt}) irradiation on the tensile properties of copper and precipitation-hardened (PH) and dispersion-strengthened (DS) copper alloys was investigated. Samples were irradiated with fission neutrons at temperatures of 80 to 200{degrees}C to doses of 0.6 to 5 dpa. Irradiation at temperatures <150{degrees}C resulted in significant hardening and accompanying embrittlement in all of the materials. By comparing the present results with literature data, it is concluded that severe radiation embrittlement occurs in copper alloys irradiated at temperatures {le}I00{degrees}C for doses above {approximately} 0.01 to 0.1 dpa. On the other hand, irradiation at temperatures above 150{degrees}C causes only moderate embrittlement for doses up to {approximately}5 dpa. It is recommended that the minimum operating temperature for copper alloys intended for structural applications in fusion energy systems should be 150{degrees}C, unless uniform elongations

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-96OR22464; AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 211629
• Report Number(s): CONF-950961--10; ON: DE96006715
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COPPER
COPPER ALLOYS
ELONGATION
EMBRITTLEMENT
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION HARDENING
TENSILE PROPERTIES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
YIELD STRENGTH