Titanium alloy as a potential low radioactivation vacuum material

Kamiya, Junichiro   ; Hikichi, Yusuke; Kinsho, Michikazu  ; Ogiwara, Norio; Fukuda, Mitsuhiro*; Hamatani, Noriaki*; Hatanaka, Kichiji*; Kamakura, Keita*; Takahisa, Keiji*

For the vacuum systems of high-intensity beam accelerators, low radioactivation materials with good vacuum characteristics and high mechanical strength are required. The titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V was investigated as a potential low activation vacuum material with high mechanical strength for the fabrication of vacuum components, particularly the flanges of beam pipes, in the J-PARC 3 GeV synchrotron. The dose rate of Ti-6Al-4V when irradiated by a 400 MeV proton was observed to decrease more rapidly than that of stainless steel. Furthermore, the generated radioactive isotopes were nuclides with relatively short half-lives. The outgassing rate of Ti-6Al-4V was the same as the typical value for stainless steel. Additionally, the hydrogen concentration in bulk Ti-6Al-4V was reduced to approximately 1 ppm by vacuum firing. These results indicate that Ti-6Al-4V is a good candidate for use as a low activation vacuum material with high mechanical strength.