Effects of electron irradiation on creep of aluminium

Abstract

Theoretical analysis of the effects of radiation on creep of metals, made on assumption of predominance of radiation-enhanced interstitial diffusion, has shown that irradiation should accelerate the motion of vacancyemitting dislocation jogs, while, on the other hand, slowing down the motion of jogs emitting interstitials. Under such conditions, irradiation should slow down the creep controlled by jogged screw dislocation glide, and increase the creep-rate, when it's controlled by edge dislocation climb. The conclusion to this effect has been substantiated by experimental study of the effects of electron irradiation on creep of aluminium within the temperature range of 10 to 50°C. It has been found that electron irradiation causes the creep-rate to decrease; simultaneously, one observes a substitution of a mechanism controlled by the glide of jogged screw dislocations by one controlled by edge dislocation climb.

Stress relaxation in dilute Al-0.02 at.% Mn alloy under electron irradiation

“…It was pointed out in previous work (Bystrov, Ivanov and Martishin 1975) that when screw dislocations undergo gliding motion,jogs of one sign should emit vacancies (or accumulate interstitials), while jogs of opposite sign should emit interstitials (or accumulate vacancies). Since the generation of interstitials is energetically unfavourable when dislocations glide under normal thermal conditions, some jogs generate vacancies, while jogs of the opposite sign accumulate freely migrating vacancies present in the crystal.…”