On the description of the process of recording TiB 2 particles on solid state nuclear track detectors by the use of neutron-induced autoradiography

Abstract

Neutron-induced autoradiography (NIAR) allows grain-refining processes for which boron-containing master alloys are used for analysis through the nuclear reaction 10B(n, α) 7Li. The TiB 2 particles as potential nucleation centres play an important role in the mechanism of grain refinement. In this paper theoretical and practical aspects of the process of recording borides on the solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) are discussed. The influence of boride distribution in material depth on the image on the detector is modelled and calculated. A simple method of quantifying the relationships between size of TiB 2 particles and their image on the detector, which is based on quantitative image analysis, is described. Concluding calculations and results show that borides with a diameter ( d TiB 2 ) greater than 0.2-0.3 μm are completely detected by the use of NIAR. This gives new possibilities of assessing the role of TiB 2 particles in grain refinement. The exact knowledge of the crystallographic characteristics of borides might be important to obtain information about the behaviour of the SSNTD.