Tensile property changes of metals irradiated to low doses with fission, fusion and spallation neutrons

Abstract

Radiation effects due to low doses of spallation neutrons are compared directly to those produced by fission and fusion neutrons. Yield stress changes of pure Cu, alumina dispersion strengthened Cu, and AISI 316 stainless steel irradiated at 36–55°C in the Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effects Facility (LASREF) are compared with earlier results of irradiations at 90°C using 14 MeV D-T fusion neutrons at the Rotating Target Neutron Source and fission reactor neutrons in the Omega West Reactor. At doses up to 0.04 displacements per atom (dpa), the yield stress changes due to the three quite different neutron spectra correlate well on the basis of dpa in the stainless steel and the Cu alloy. However, in pure Cu, the measured yield stress changes due to spallation neutrons were anomalously small and should be verified by additional irradiations. With the exception of pure Cu, the low dose, low temperature experiments reveal no fundamental differences in radiation hardening by fission, fusion or spallation neutrons when compared on the basis of dpa.