Abstract
Effect of fast neutron irradiation ( E ⪢ 0.1 MeV ) on the recovery and recrystallization of high purity niobium has been studied, utilising transmission electron microscopy and isochronal microhardness measruements, in the temperature range 25–1200°C for 1 h. The sigmoidal recovery curves show an initial increase in microhardness in the temperature range 25–300° C, which is related to the migration of interstitial impurity atoms O, C and N to dislocations and defect agglomerates produced by cold work and irradiation. Recrystallization in cold worked niobium proceeds by subgrain growth (controlled by subgrain coalescence) and strain induced grain boundary migration. Fast neutron irradiation to a fluence of φ = 1.3 × 10 18 nvt facilitates the formation of recrystallization nuclei by subgrain coalescence and thus accelerates the initial nucleation process in cold worked and irradiated specimens by about 150°C.
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