Variations in Radiation Damage to Metals

Abstract

A group of metals including copper, nickel, titanium, zirconium, iron, molyb-denum, and type 347 stainless steel were irradiated at approximately equal exposure conditions in the Materials Testing Reactor. Measurements were made of some mechanical and physical properties to determine the extent of radiation damage to each metal. Some aspects of the theory of radiation damage to metals by neutrons were considered, and calculations were made of the concentrations of several kinds of defects produced, neglecting annealing effects. The differences among the metals in the calculated concentrations of defects were small, and could not be correlated with the observed differences in radiation damage. On the basis of empirical considerations, two factors which appear to exert strong influences on the magnitude of the changes in properties due to irradiation are the crystal structure and the pre-irradiation value of the physical or mechanical property prior to irradiation.