Radiation defects upon irradiation with Kr14+ ions of TaC0.81 ceramics

Abstract

The work presents data on changes in the structural and strength characteristics of tantalum carbide ceramics as a result of irradiation with heavy Kr14+ ions with an energy comparable in magnitude to the energy of fission fragments of uranium nuclei. The irradiation fluence was 1013, 5 × 1013 и 1014 ion/cm2. The choice of irradiation fluences is due to the possibility of modeling the defect structure in ceramics at various degrees of overlapping of the ion trajectories in the target. It was found that an increase in the irradiation fluence above 5 × 1013 ion/cm2 leads not only to an increase in distortions and deformations in the structure, but also to an increase in the area of regions containing an increased carbon content, thereby changing the stoichiometric ratio of elements in the surface layer and having a negative effect on the strength characteristics of ceramics.