Study on the damage of Zr63.5Cu23Al9Fe4.5 amorphous and crystalline alloys irradiated by high intensity pulsed ion beam

Abstract

Zr63.5Cu23Al9Fe4.5 amorphous and crystalline alloys were irradiated by high intensity pulsed ion beam to investigate the effects of transient high thermal load irradiation on their microstructure, surface reflectivity and nano-hardness. When the high temperature caused by transient thermal shock did not reach the melting temperature of the alloys, there was no obvious change in the phase-structure of amorphous and crystalline alloys, and irradiation had little impact on surface reflectivity and nano-hardness. When the temperature exceeding the melting temperature, amorphous alloys still maintained amorphous strtucture, and more free volumes generated by remelting and rapid solidification process, resulting in the reduction of nano-hardness; while micrometer-sized amorphization appeared in the crystalline counterpart, which also reduced the nano-hardness. Compared with molybdenum, a candidate material of the first mirror, there was no crack on the surface and less change of surface reflectivity in amorphous and crystalline alloys.