Effects of 3.5 MeV proton irradiation on pure zirconium

The effects of high energy proton irradiation on pure zirconium were investigated in this study. The annealed Zr specimens (50 mm × 3 mm × 0.8 mm) were irradiated by 3.5 MeV hydrogen ions with dose ranges from 1×1013 to 1 × 1015 ions/cm2 at 335 K. The range of the proton beam penetration was measured to be 68-70 μm, depending on the surface, which is in good agreement with the SRIM simulation results. X-ray diffractometer analysis revealed that the peak intensity of the basal plane increased and the position of the peak shifted due to the proton irradiation. Field emission scanning electron microscopy results showed that with increasing irradiation dose hydrogen micro-bubbles formed, concentrated, interconnected, and eventually burst due to the excessive hydrogen pressure inside, causing surface-crack development. Measured yield and ultimate tensile strength seemed to be insignificantly affected by the proton irradiation.