Radiation-induced modification of titanium nickelide with fast neutrons

Abstract

We present a review of the investigations of the effect of fast neutrons on the structure and properties of titanium nickelide that were performed by the authors on an IVV-2M atomic reactor (Zarechnyi). It has been established that at small fluences of fast neutrons atomic disordering of crystals is observed; as the fluence increases, the material becomes partially amorphized; and at fluences higher than 1 × 1020 cm−2, the material transforms completely into the amorphous state. It has been shown that the amorphous state produced by neutron irradiation differs substantially from the amorphous state of materials obtained by conventional methods. In particular, if a single-crystal specimen is subjected to “neutron” amorphization (most of the investigations were carried out using single crystals), after annealing of radiation-induced defects the single crystal is restored with the initial orientation and perfection. The structural studies were conducted by the methods of neutron and X-ray diffraction. Based on these studies, as well as on the results of small-angle neutron scattering and dilatometric and resistivity measurements, the “defect” state of irradiated materials has been examined in detail. The radiation resistance of titanium nickelide has been estimated.