Mechanical properties of pure tungsten and tantalum irradiated by protons and neutrons at the Swiss spallation-neutron source

Saito, Shigeru; Suzuki, Kazuhiro; Obata, Hiroki; Dai, Y.*

Nuclear Materials and Energy (Internet), 34, p.101338_1 - 101338_9, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2022.101338

In this study, a post-irradiation examination of pure tungsten (W) and tantalum (Ta) specimens irradiated at the Swiss Spallation-Neutron Source is conducted. W is used as a potential candidate for a solid spallation-target material owing to its favorable properties. However, W also suffers from several disadvantages such as poor corrosion resistance to water coolant and irradiation embrittlement. To improve these properties, cladding technologies using Ta for W alloys have been developed. In the present study, we investigated the irradiation effects on two tungsten materials, poly-crystal W (W-Poly) and single-crystal W (W-Sin), along with pure polycrystalline Ta. The tensile-test results revealed that W-Poly exhibited almost no ductility after irradiation of 10.2-35.0 dpa. W-Sin was irradiated up to 10.2 dpa and demonstrated 6% of total elongation (TE). With regard to Ta, TE decreased based on the increase in irradiation, reaching almost zero at doses of more than 10.3 dpa.