Effects of Neutron Irradiation to 63 Dpa on the Properties of Various Commercial Copper Alloys

摘要

High purity copper and six commercial copper alloys were neutron irradiated to 47 and 63 dpa at about 450 deg C in the FFTF. Immersion density measurements showed a wide range of swelling behavior after irradiation to 63 dpa. At one extreme was CuBe in the aged and tempered (AT) condition which had densified slightly. At the other extreme was 20% CW Cu-0.1% Ag which swelled over 45%. Electrical resistivity measurements followed trends similar to previously published results for the same alloys irradiated to 16 dpa: a continued change in conductivity with fluence which appears to relate to void formation, transmutation products and coarsening of second phase precipitates. These results were compared with electrical conductivity of unirradiated alloys examined after aging for 10,000 hours. The most irradiation resistant high-conductivity copper alloys examined after 63 dpa are A125 and MZC. Cu-2.0Be, only a moderate-conductivity alloy, exhibits very consistent irradiation resistant properties. (ERA citation 12:046912)