Effect of neutron irradiation and postradiation annealing on the microstructure and properties of an Al–Mg–Si alloy

Abstract

The effect of long-term neutron irradiation and postradiation thermal-induced aging on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an aluminum-based reactor Al–Mg–Si alloy grade SAV-1 has been studied. The material under study is the shell of an automatic fine-control rod used to control the reactivity of the core of a VVR-K research reactor. Successive 1-h annealings of specimens of the SAV-1 alloy irradiated to doses of 0.001 and 5 dpa in the temperature range of 100–550°C have been carried out. The evolution of the fine structure of the material and changes in its mechanical characteristics have been studied. The phenomenon of the acceleration of the aging of the SAV-1 alloy under the effect of a high neutron fluence at an irradiation temperature of 80°C has been observed, which involves the formation of numerous lineage (stitch) Guinier–Preston zones in the alloy. It has been shown that the strength characteristics of the SAV-1 alloy depend significantly on the degree of its radiation- and thermal-induced aging.