Structure and mechanical properties of irradiated magnesium aluminate spinel

The relationship between structure and mechanical properties of MgAl2O4 spinel single crystals following 400 keV Xe2+ irradiation at 100 K to doses up to 1 x 10(20) ions/m(2) was examined. The structural changes in the irradiated layer were studied using electron diffraction from cross-sectional samples. The nano-indentation technique was used to determine the mechanical properties. At low doses, the material transformed into a metastable crystalline phase characterized by the rearrangement of cations. At the onset of this transformation, the Young's modulus and hardness rose to values about 10 and 15% higher, respectively, than those of the unirradiated crystal. Upon further irradiation, the metastable crystal became amorphous. The Young's modulus and hardness of the amorphous state were about 30 and 60% less, respectively, than the corresponding values of unirradiated spinel. These results, in conjunction with the findings of a recent computer simulation study, provide important insights into the exceptional radiation resistance of magnesium aluminate spinel.