NEUTRON-INDUCED MICROSTRUCTURAL ALTERATION OF GLIDCOP(TM) ALLOYS AT APPROXIMATE-TO-415-DEGREES-C AND HIGH NEUTRON EXPOSURE

GlidCop(TM) internally oxidized copper alloys remain the leading candidates for high heat flux applications in fusion reactors. This paper presents the microstructural changes incurred in three GlidCop(TM) alloys exposed to long term, high temperature neutron irradiation. Irradiation at high temperature produced a microstructure containing a much lower dislocation density than the unirradiated specimens. Although 10-50 nm size triangular oxide particles were observed in areas with a very low number density of particles, spherical oxide particles on the order of 5-7 nm in diameter, thought to be CuAl2O4, were the predominant morphology. The changes in grain size distribution, dislocation density, and precipitate type and distribution saturate in the range of 34 to 50 dpa, as reflected in the saturation of mechanical properties.