Evolution of Helium with Temperature in Neutron-Irradiated 10B-Doped Aluminum by Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Abstract

Helium status is the primary effect of material properties under radiation. 10B-doped aluminum samples were prepared via arc melting technique and rapidly cooled with liquid nitrogen to increase the boron concentration during the formation of compounds. An accumulated helium concentration of ~6.2 × 1025 m−3 was obtained via reactor neutron irradiation with the reaction of 10B(n, α)7Li. Temperature-stimulated helium evolution was observed via small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and was confirmed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SAXS results show that the volume fraction of helium bubbles significantly increased with temperature. The amount of helium bubbles reached its maximum at 600°C, and the most probable diameter of the helium bubbles increased with temperature until 14.6 nm at 700°C. A similar size distribution of helium bubbles was obtained via TEM after in situ SAXS measurement at 700°C, except that the most probable diameter was 3.9 nm smaller.