Radiation damage from heavy ion bombardment in high purity aluminum
Aluminum is used as a structural material in research reactors and experimental facilities for high energy physics. The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the effect of injected copper ions on aluminum and the effect inert helium gas has on the nucleation of voids in aluminum. Pure aluminum was irradiated with copper ions, and aluminum containing helium was bombarded with aluminum ions. Preinjected helium was used because of the neutron promoted (n,..cap alpha..) reaction and because of its inert nature. The results of these irradiations with and without helium are compared to results from other related studies performed with heavy ions and with neutron irradiations. Well annealed samples of high purity aluminum without helium and those containing 0.1, 1.0, 10 at ppm of helium were bombarded with copper ions and aluminium ions to doses between 0.2 dpa to greater than 20 dpa at temperatures ranging from 25C to 200 C. The displacement rates were 5 x 10/sup -4/ to 1 x 10/sup -3/ dpa/sec. Copper ion irradiations produced theta precipitation at the end of ion range and heterogeneous cocentrations of vacancy loops throughout the damage zone. Self-ion bombardments produced lower concentrations of dislocation tangles and vacancy loops. When helium was preinjected by a radioactive ..cap alpha.. source, ion bombardment produced voids. No voids were ever observed in helium free ion bombarded aluminum samples after doses of more than 20 dpa. The temperature effect on void formation followed current theoretical trends in which the void density decreases with increasing temperature and the void size increases with increasing temperature.
- Research Organization:
- Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6224882
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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