Microstructure and tensile properties of heavily irradiated 1100-0 aluminum

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6663374

Farrell, K.; Richt, A. E.

Microstructural changes and the resulting tensile properties of commercial purity (1100 grade) aluminum were measured after neutron irradiations up to 1.4 x 10/sup 27/ n/m/sup 2/ (E greater than 0.1 MeV) and 2.3 x 10/sup 27/ n/m/sup 2/ (E less than 0.025 eV) at approximately 328/sup 0/K (0.35 T/sub m/) corresponding to displacement levels of 200 dpa and the generation of 5.5 wt percent Si. The material displayed up to about 8 percent swelling. Microstructural features included dislocation tangles, a precipitate of elemental silicon, and heterogeneously distributed voids coated with silicon. Alongside grain boundaries were sheets of large voids. These microstructural features are shown to be responsible for increasing the 0.2 percent flow stress and the UTS at 323/sup 0/K by factors of 5 and 3 to values of 220 and 250 MPa, respectively, and by factors of 6.5 and 3.5 to about 190 MPa at 423/sup 0/K (0.45 T/sub m/). Elongation was reduced at 323/sup 0/K from 32 percent to a plateau at 12 percent in the fluence range 4 x 10/sup 25/ n/m/sup 2/ to 7 x 10/sup 26/ n/m/sup 2/ (greater than 0.1 MeV), followed by a sharp fall to 4 percent at the highest fluences, the latter concomitant with a change to intergranular-type fracture. In the 423/sup 0/K tests the elongation declined from 56 percent to 4 percent at the highest fluences where intergranular-type fracture prevailed. Most of this loss in ductility is accountable in terms of dispersion hardening through changes in strain hardening parameters. It is suggested that the apparent intergranular fractures are caused by tearing of sheets of voids adjacent to grain boundaries.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6663374
• Report Number(s): CONF-780722-10; TRN: 78-018804
• Resource Relation: Conference: 9. symposium on effects of radiation in structural materials, Richland, WA, USA, 10 Jul 1978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
DISLOCATIONS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NEUTRONS
SWELLING
TENSILE PROPERTIES
THERMAL NEUTRONS
BARYONS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FERMIONS
HADRONS
LINE DEFECTS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
METALS
NUCLEONS
RADIATION EFFECTS
360106* - Metals & Alloys- Radiation Effects