Recovery of Defects in Neutron-Irradiated Tungsten

Abstract

Isochronal resistivity recovery spectra of irradiated tungsten indicate three resolved peaks at 16, 22, and 31 per cent of the absolute melting temperature of this material. Isochronal annealing of the tungsten hardness increment indicates that the irradiation affects the athermal component of the hardness, observed at temperatures above 0.15 Tm, and not the strong temperature-dependent component which becomes prominent below this temperature. In addition, the hardness recovery occurs at 0.35 Tm; the 0.16, 0.22, and 0.31 Tm peaks being absent. The recovery stages of resistivity at 0.31 Tm and of the hardness at 0.35 Tm in body-centered cubic metals correspond to the recovery stage observed for both types of properties in most irradiated face-centeredcubic metals which occur at approximately 0.50 Tm.