INTERACTION OF SELF INTERSTITIALS WITH UNDERSIZED SOLUTE ATOMS IN ELECTRON-IRRADIATED ALUMINUM

The interaction of migrating Al interstitials with solutes has been investigated in dilute aluminium alloys with Cr, V and Ti. The effective capture radii of impurities for migrating interstitials have been determined from stage I recovery suppression and above stage I from damage rate measurements up to 200K by applying the usual diffusion theory to the data. The capture radii deduced from the recovery data seem to be appreciably smaller than the values extrapolated from the damage rate measurements to temperatures below 50K. Above 50K the capture radii decrease with increasing irradiation temperature. The impurity Ti loses its trapping capability between 86K and 123K, whereas the other impurities do trap interstitials even at 200K. In the case of Al(Cr) the complex formed by an interstitial trapped at a chromium atom seems to change its configuration at 58K.