Abstract
Changes in the physical properties of graphite induced by high flux neutron irradiation have been observed over a wide range of temperature under conditions which permitted close control of the temperature and neutron flux. The work consisted of a study of the changes in thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, Young's Modulus, electrical resistivity and crystallographic parameters with neutron irradiation and the effect of subsequent annealing on these properties. The results are discussed in the light of electron microscope studies of defects produced in natural graphite crystals under similar irradiation conditions. At the lowest temperature in the range studied, 150°C, large changes in thermal conductivity were observed. No evidence has been obtained for saturation at high doses of either thermal conductivity or lattice parameter changes, even at the highest temperature studied, 650°C, where the properties studied change at a much reduced rate. Complex changes in thermal expansion have been observed, probably due to the combined effects of the lattice parameter distortion and changes in pore structure.
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